Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Restrict Personal Data Exports

Lawmakers in the Senate and House this week reintroduced a bill that could require the Commerce Department to block exports of sensitive personal data to certain high-risk countries (see 2306010042). The Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Surveillance Act, originally introduced during the last Congress, would also look to restrict personal data exports by firms, such as TikTok, “directly to restricted foreign governments, to parent companies in restricted foreign countries” and to parties designated on Commerce’s Entity List. Export penalties would apply to “senior executives who knew or should have known that employees below them were directed to illegally export Americans’ personal data.”

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one of several sponsors of the bipartisan bill, specifically said the legislation would target exports to China and Russia. “Our bipartisan bill would turn off the tap of data to unfriendly nations, stop TikTok from sending Americans’ personal information to China, and allow nations with strong privacy protections to strengthen their relationships,” he said.