On March 30, 2026, the World Data Organization (WDO) was officially launched in Beijing. The WDO describes itself as a non-governmental, non-profit organization headquartered in Beijing, with a stated mission of “bridging the data divide, unlocking data’s value, and powering the digital economy.” The WDO is a China-headquartered effort to address a governance gap: while […]
International Data Transfers
FTC Sends Letters Reminding Data Brokers of their Obligations under PADFAA
On February 9, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) sent letters to thirteen data brokers reminding them of their obligations to comply with the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 (“PADFAA”). We previously wrote an article and Peter Swire published a white paper at the Cross-Border Data Forum (“CBDF”) describing PADFAA in […]
Peter Swire’s Work Recognized by IAPP
The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) recently recognized Alston & Bird Senior Counsel Peter Swire as part of the IAPP’s “25 Leaders, 25 Moments at 25 Years” series. The IAPP, an organization with over 80,000 professionals around the globe, recognized Peter for his work writing the IAPP’s first textbook on U.S. privacy law. […]
Article: White Paper on Clarifying Definitions in the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024
Peter Swire, Senior Counsel at Alston & Bird, has published a white paper at the Cross-Border Data Forum (“CBDF”), analyzing the definitions in the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 (“PADFAA”), which was passed on April 24, 2024 and will take effect on June 23, 2024. The white paper discusses some ambiguities […]
China Releases Updated Regulations on Permits Needed for Transferring Data out of China
On March 22, 2024, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published the Regulations on Promoting and Regulating Cross-border Data Flow (the “Regulations”), effective immediately. The Regulations supplement China data protection laws (the Cybersecurity Law, the Data Security Law, and the Personal Information Protection Law), and take precedence over previously-issued data transfer rules, such as (a) […]