The measure targets the business of selling people’s personal information, which the White House said could be used “to track Americans (including military service members), pry into their personal lives," and be passed on to foreign intelligence.

President Joe Biden will issue an executive order Wednesday intended to safeguard the personal data of American citizens from countries deemed hostile.

The executive order centers on the business of selling people’s personal information, in which companies and so-called data brokers collect and trade data. The Biden Administration is worried that data brokers and other commercial entities will sell this information to “countries of concern-which have a track record of collecting and misusing data on Americans.”

Lawmakers and intelligence agencies have previously expressed concerns that the Chinese Communist Party is amassing a wealth of U.S. data, posing national security concerns.

The order focusses on specific, sensitive information like genomic data, biometric data, personal health data, geolocation data, financial data and other kinds of personally identifiable information.

  • Drusas
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    -610 months ago

    Nice whataboutism.

    Doing a good thing is a good thing even if it doesn’t address all the ills in the world. The labor rights abuses are unrelated to this action.

    • @Sanctus
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      710 months ago

      Its not a whataboutism. They are actually in a lawsuit right now claiming that the NLRB is unconstitutional. So no, there are no good things when your rights as a laborer are up in the air.

      • Drusas
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        110 months ago

        Just because what you’re talking about is also true doesn’t mean that it’s not whataboutism. Switching topics like this is the definition of whataboutism.

        • @Sanctus
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          110 months ago

          There is a word for loudly condemning someone while simultaneously doing the things they are. This practice is so old Romans 2:1 mentions it. So why make a big stink about Chinese companies and write legislation while letting American companies do the exact same thing? Because one specifically hurts China. Its not about your safety or protection.

      • @[email protected]
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        110 months ago

        Because the article isn’t about China stealing data, it’s about what Biden is doing and the post is asking why we can’t get the same thing done about the problem domestically. Nowhere is anyone down playing one for the other.

        • @Sanctus
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          110 months ago

          American companies stealing your data and selling it to the highest bidder world-wide: Look at this free market!

          Chinese company doing the exact same thing: Look at what Biden is doing to protect us!

          This is just more Red Scare bullshit. If you actually cared about your people and weren’t just worried about China you’d make data collection illegal without express consent and compensation for those being harvested.

          • @[email protected]
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            210 months ago

            Fark! I replied on the wrong comment. Was intending the commenter you replied to. You and i are simpatico. Sorry for the confusion!

      • @[email protected]
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        -110 months ago

        Wait how exactly is this not whataboutism? You’ve brought up a completely tangential fact. A fact, yes, but tangential.

        • @Sanctus
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          210 months ago

          American companies are doing the exact same, I see no motion to end the american data collection industry. Then they use their wealth and power to strip our rights. Yet he is worried about Chinese companies? As far as I’m concerned, Chinese companies are not directly sueing my government to abolish my rights using the wealth and power they’ve obtained by harvesting my data.

          • @[email protected]
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            10 months ago

            American companies are doing the exact same, I see no motion to end the american data collection industry.

            Lemme rephrase that for you.

            What about American companies that do the exact same?

            If you’re against data collection, this is a win. Maybe not enough of a win for some folks, but a win.

            • @Sanctus
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              110 months ago

              I just think our own companies are the worst offenders.