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Data privacy worries • Personal data targeted • Legislation needed
Many companies profit off individuals’ personal data, as do scammers looking to exploit the information.
Six “countries of concern” also view sensitive personal information as a strategic resource, according to the U.S. intelligence community and the Biden administration.
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These countries — China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela — are buying potentially revealing personal details from data brokers and are looking to leverage the information for blackmail, espionage and malicious activities online, according to a senior Department of Justice official who briefed reporters Tuesday. Once the data is in their hands, the foreign adversaries can manipulate it using artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies to coerce or target academics, politicians, political groups and others in the United States.
On Wednesday, President Biden issued an executive order that aims to protect Americans’ most sensitive personal data. He authorized the attorney general to prevent the large-scale transfer of such information and create safeguards to help ensure Americans’ privacy.
6 types of personal data covered
The data in need of protection spans seven broad categories, six related to individuals’ privacy:
1. Biometric identifiers, unique physical characteristics such as DNA, fingerprints and iris scans.
2. Genomic data, which is information hidden in a person’s genes, including inherited diseases.
3. Personal financial data, including account balances, assets, liabilities and transactions that someone might have conducted on a website.
4. Personal health data, such as a patient’s allergies, blood type, immunization status and other medical history.
5. Precise geolocation data gathered from a device such as a connected car, fitness tracker or smartphone that identifies the latitude and longitude of someone within about 1,750 feet.
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