WASHINGTON : The Biden administration has drafted an executive order that would give the Department of Justice vast powers to stop foreign adversaries like China from accessing Americans' personal data, according to a person familiar with the matter and excerpts seen by Reuters.
Former President Donald Trump tried to ban the apps in 2020 alleging data collected by them could be given to Beijing and used to track users and censor content. China and the apps have denied any improper use of U.S. data. The document is an initial draft that does not include input from government agencies and may change, according to another person familiar with the matter.
U.S. intelligence has warned about the risks posed Chinese companies collecting Americans' personal data by investing in U.S. firms that handle sensitive healthcare information. China's BGI purchased U.S. genomic sequencing firm Complete Genomics in 2013 and in 2015, Chinese WuXi Pharma Tech acquired U.S. firm NextCODE Health, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center noted in a 2021 fact sheet.
But so far, the department has failed to publish long-awaited rules fleshing out a safe harbor process for companies or announce the results of investigations into firms including Russia's Kaspersky and China's Alibaba, as previously reported by Reuters.