Like a vast haystack of digital information, bulk data conceals critical needles—sensitive details that, if found and exploited, can pose severe risks to national security. This week, Elisa is joined by Eric Johnson, the Principal Deputy Chief of the Foreign Investment Review Section at the DOJ's National Security Division. Together they discuss the implications of E.O. 14117, the balance between individual privacy and collective security, and how everyday digital activities contribute to the creation of bulk data.

Eric Johnson is the Principal Deputy Chief of the Foreign Investment Review Section in the United States Department of Justice’s National Security Division:

References:

E.O. 14117

E.O. 13873

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)

The General Data Protection Regulation

Schrems I

Schrems II

Mullins, Brody, and Luke Mullins. The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took over Big Government. Simon & Schuster, 2024

The Congressional Research Service website

Sanchi Jayaram, Assistant Director, American Law Division of the Congressional Research Service