The US government has ordered its diplomats to actively oppose other countries’ attempts to introduce so-called data sovereignty laws that restrict how and where foreign technology companies can store and handle citizens’ data, according to Reuters.

In an internal memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US describes such rules as a threat to free data flows, AI development, and cloud services. The Trump Administration believes that data localization could increase costs, create cybersecurity risks, and give governments greater control over information.

At the same time, support for data sovereignty is growing, especially in Europe, where there are concerns about privacy, surveillance, and US dominance in AI and tech. The EU’s GDPR is mentioned in the document as an example of rules that the US considers unnecessarily restrictive.

Diplomats have now been tasked with monitoring and influencing international proposals that restrict cross-border data flows, as well as promoting alternative frameworks that support the free transfer of data between countries.