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Behind the beautiful slogans lies cold calculation and pressure on partners.
The US administration is increasing pressure on foreign governments over regulations that restrict the export and processing of personal data. This is driven by the growing popularity of "data sovereignty" and "data localization" initiatives, particularly in Europe, where disputes with Washington have intensified amid trade policy and political disagreements.
According to Reuters, the State Department sent a memo to diplomats instructing them to step up their efforts to oppose regulations governing American tech companies' handling of foreigners' data. The document, dated February 18, 2026, was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The memo describes such measures as hindering cross-border data flows, increasing costs and risks to cybersecurity, restricting cloud and artificial intelligence services, and expanding government control with potential consequences for civil liberties.
The State Department did not publicly comment on the contents of the telegram, but reiterated the overall US position of supporting data sharing between countries while preserving privacy, security, and freedom of expression. The document outlined a "more assertive international data policy" and asked diplomats to resist "overly burdensome" requirements, including mandatory domestic data storage.
The telegram specifically points to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as an example of rules complicating the processing and transfer of data outside the EU. Concerns about privacy and potential data access by foreign entities are growing on the continent, and the dominance of American companies in artificial intelligence exacerbates the issue, as models are often trained on large amounts of personal data. Dutch cloud technology expert Bert Hubert attributes Washington's tougher tone to Europe's growing wariness of American IT companies.
The same document mentions China. The State Department assesses that Beijing is promoting infrastructure projects coupled with restrictive data regulations, expanding its influence and access to information for surveillance and strategic pressure. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was not familiar with the telegram but emphasized Beijing's focus on cybersecurity and data protection.
The telegram also instructs diplomats to monitor initiatives to restrict cross-border data flows and promote the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, established in 2022 by the United States and several partners to support the free flow of data with privacy protections. Reuters notes that this move follows a series of actions against European digital regulation, including last year's calls for diplomats to more actively challenge the EU's Digital Services Act and recent US plans to launch an online portal to circumvent restrictions on publications deemed unacceptable in Europe.
The US administration is increasing pressure on foreign governments over regulations that restrict the export and processing of personal data. This is driven by the growing popularity of "data sovereignty" and "data localization" initiatives, particularly in Europe, where disputes with Washington have intensified amid trade policy and political disagreements.
According to Reuters, the State Department sent a memo to diplomats instructing them to step up their efforts to oppose regulations governing American tech companies' handling of foreigners' data. The document, dated February 18, 2026, was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The memo describes such measures as hindering cross-border data flows, increasing costs and risks to cybersecurity, restricting cloud and artificial intelligence services, and expanding government control with potential consequences for civil liberties.
The State Department did not publicly comment on the contents of the telegram, but reiterated the overall US position of supporting data sharing between countries while preserving privacy, security, and freedom of expression. The document outlined a "more assertive international data policy" and asked diplomats to resist "overly burdensome" requirements, including mandatory domestic data storage.
The telegram specifically points to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as an example of rules complicating the processing and transfer of data outside the EU. Concerns about privacy and potential data access by foreign entities are growing on the continent, and the dominance of American companies in artificial intelligence exacerbates the issue, as models are often trained on large amounts of personal data. Dutch cloud technology expert Bert Hubert attributes Washington's tougher tone to Europe's growing wariness of American IT companies.
The same document mentions China. The State Department assesses that Beijing is promoting infrastructure projects coupled with restrictive data regulations, expanding its influence and access to information for surveillance and strategic pressure. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was not familiar with the telegram but emphasized Beijing's focus on cybersecurity and data protection.
The telegram also instructs diplomats to monitor initiatives to restrict cross-border data flows and promote the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, established in 2022 by the United States and several partners to support the free flow of data with privacy protections. Reuters notes that this move follows a series of actions against European digital regulation, including last year's calls for diplomats to more actively challenge the EU's Digital Services Act and recent US plans to launch an online portal to circumvent restrictions on publications deemed unacceptable in Europe.
