The False Promise of Data Nationalism

A growing number of policy makers believe that data is more private and secure if it is stored domestically. This report shows why this is a false promise by providing a short guide to the implications of storing data on servers in foreign countries, with a foreign-owned service provider, or both, under various conditions. The report also recommends the United States engage its trade partners in developing a “Geneva Convention on the Status of Data” that establishes international legal standards for government access to data.