Global Data Restrictions on the Rise Amid Privacy and Security Fears

The impact of such measures has played out in recent weeks as regulators in China probe technology firms’ security practices, and privacy talks between the U.S. and European Union reach their second year. Nigel Cory, ITIF’s associate director for trade policy and lead author of the report, said that the wave of new rules poses compliance challenges for industry and could slow the growth of the digital economy.

“For any firm that manages data on a global basis, this is extraordinarily difficult,” Mr. Cory said, adding that many policies in effect serve to keep data in-country without actually mandating it. “It’s like the world’s biggest game of whack-a-mole.”