Making 2024 the Year We Secure American Data

Keynote Featuring

Eric Johnson, Principal Deputy Chief, Foreign Investment Review Section, National Security Division at U.S. Department of Justice

Panel Featuring

[Moderator] Alfred Ng, Privacy Reporter, Politico

Alex Joel, Scholar-in-Residence and Adjunct Professor, American University Washington College of Law

Brandon Pugh, Policy Director and Senior Fellow, Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats, R Street Institute

DeBrae Kennedy-Mayo, Faculty in Law and Ethics, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech; Senior Fellow, Cross-Border Data Forum

Overview

While U.S. officials have long warned us about countries like China collecting and exploiting sensitive data on Americans, little has been done to combat the practice. Sensitive data can be used to monitor and intimidate vulnerable populations, execute more effective cyber incidents, and spread mis/disinformation. From hacking to web-scraping, data can be acquired in numerous ways, but simply buying it from “data brokers” is cheap and easy. Some data brokers sell Americans’ personal data to adversarial nations legally and with limited transparency. A recent White House executive order (EO) seeks to address this practice, but getting the mechanics right and looking at additional measures is important.

Join the R Street Institute for a special virtual event to explore the implications of the EO. The event will feature prominent individuals in the data privacy and security field, including a keynote from a Department of Justice official and a panel of experts representing diverse viewpoints. The event will explore the data security threat landscape; the structure and mechanics of the EO, including the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking; ways to protect privacy while allowing for innovation and data flows; and additional steps to protect Americans like standalone legislation and a federal comprehensive data privacy and security law.