In a chat hosted by the Heart for New American Safety, she stated collaboration can facilitate secure information sharing between nations to promote financial progress and cooperation, while prioritizing civil liberties.
Ruth Berry, the assistant secretary of state for worldwide data and communications coverage at the State Division, stated the company’s goal is to collaborate on uniform rules, following President Joe Biden’s landmark transatlantic information framework.
“The U.S. and Europe don’t have to have completely identical regulatory techniques,” Berry stated. “And I think the secret is to make sure that in areas where we have common goals, we have interoperable options that are compatible with completely different forms of government and different political methods.”
She pointed out that while there is little friction between European Union countries and the U.S., the two countries have different approaches to regulating the data that personal tech companies collect. Legislative proposals currently under consideration in the EU, such as the expansive Synthetic Intelligence Act and DATA Act, could prevent U.S. companies from conducting parts of their business in Europe, where those legal guidelines apply.
“The U.S. wants to make sure that U.S. companies are not targeted,” Berry said. “I think we have the relationships and the processes in place to address these things.”
One of many discrepancies concerns the proposed EU cybersecurity certification system, which would establish baseline requirements for all cybersecurity products operating in the EU. Berry mentioned that the home-ownership requirements included in the proposed regulation could cause U.S. cloud and other technology companies to shift their expertise to EU companies that adhere to the overarching framework.
Berry mentioned discussions between governments are “ongoing” and that the current Financial Cooperation and Improvement Group’s regulations set up important guardrails and guidelines for overseeing authorities access to personal sector information. She added that while she does not expect the EU and U.S. to be identical in their regulatory approaches, they will work to reduce discrepancies to facilitate access to the global technology market.
“I think we’re looking at a risk-based strategy that doesn’t treat companies that are headquartered in countries with partners and allies the same as companies that might be headquartered in authoritarian regimes.”