Exclusive: US orders diplomats to fight data sovereignty initiatives

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

February 25, 2026 6:03 AM EST Updated 1 hour ago


WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has ordered U.S. diplomats to lobby against attempts to regulate U.S. tech companies' handling of foreigners' data, saying in an internal diplomatic cable seen by Reuters that such efforts could interfere with artificial intelligence-related services.

Experts say the move signals the Trump administration is reverting to a more confrontational approach as some foreign countries seek limits around how Silicon Valley firms process and store their citizens' personal information - initiatives often described as "data sovereignty" or "data localization."

In the State Department cable, dated February 18 and signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the agency said such laws would "disrupt global data flows, increase costs and cybersecurity risks, limit Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud services, and expand government control in ways that can undermine civil liberties and enable censorship." The cable said the Trump administration was pushing for "a more assertive international data policy" and that diplomats should "counter unnecessarily burdensome regulations, such as data localization mandates."

The State Department did not provide comment on the cable. However, it said the U.S. strongly supports cross-border data flows that promote growth and innovation while protecting privacy, safety, and free expression and stands ready to partner with countries that share those goals. We seek to counter unnecessarily burdensome regulations, such as data localization mandates," it added.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-orders-diplomats-fight-data-sovereignty-initiatives-2026-02-25/

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"We seek to counter unnecessarily burdensome regulations, such as data localization mandates," it added.

TRANSLATION: We want NO foreign "oversight" over the U.S.'s intrusive and invasive crap that censors speech it doesn't like.

[ChicagoTeamster]

1. It's also because many US companies lax data security, in violation of GDPR, makes them targets of hackers

And, global hotel and airline accounts along with eCommerce accounts are the biggest targets. GDPR mandates strict security compliance and audits to prove compliance which US companies see as "costs" just like food safety, clean air and water regulations etc. etc.

But no consideration whatsoever for the expense and other burdens placed on US citizens by the SAVE act to maintain proof of citizenship for voting compliance. You only register to vote once, providing all of the identification necessary to prove citizenship, and it should stay with your account at the Sec of State. Your name, gender, birth date, SSN, etc won't change after your initial registration. Only your address might. You update that to verify your voting precinct. That's it.

But no, MAGA wants out of all other burdensome regulations except the ones that make it easier for citizens to vote, expand access to healthcare, and protect people and businesses from fraud.