CLOUD Act signed into law
The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act was signed into law on 22 March by President Donald Trump. The new legislation amends the 1986 Stored Communications Act to allow federal law enforcement to compel U.S.-based technology companies via warrant or subpoena to provide requested data stored on servers regardless of where in the world the data is stored. The CLOUD Act allows for requesting any data on U.S. citizens stored on any server they own or operate when an warrant exists and it introduces expedited procedures for ‘executive agreements’ with foreign governments. While many companies expressed their support for the law in a joint letter on 6 February, civil society groups and human rights organizations warned on 12 March that the CLOUD Act ‘undermines privacy and important democratic safeguards’.
About author
DW Team
The GIP Digital Watch Observatory team, consisting of over 30 digital policy experts from around the world, excels in the fields of research and analysis on digital policy issues. The team is backed by the creative prowess of Creative Lab Diplo and the technical expertise of the Diplo tech team.