CDT's O'Connor Decries Trump Order Stripping Foreigners of Privacy Act Protections
Center for Democracy & Technology President Nuala O'Connor called the Trump administration executive order that removed Privacy Act protections for foreigners "shocking" (see 1701260015). "The message this action sends is clear: people who don’t hold a U.S. passport or current…
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green card are not entitled to the same dignity as those of us who do," she said in a Friday blog post. O'Connor said the privacy protections were extended to those who aren't U.S. citizens or permanent residents when she worked as the Department of Homeland Security's first chief privacy officer during the George W. Bush administration. It gave all people the ability to request their information held by the department, she said. Beyond respect for human dignity, the action is "profoundly bad for American business," said O'Connor. She said it sends a "clear shot across the bow of our trading partners and allies" and puts the "fragile" EU-U.S. Privacy Shield data-transfer agreement at risk. The White House again had no comment on this issue.