On February 28 President Biden signed two executive orders regarding Cuba: extending for another year the state of national emergency with Cuba and protecting U.S. citizen data.
Order Extending State of Emergency with Cuba[1]
This order was first enacted on March 1, 1996, “to address the disruption or threatened disturbanceof international relations caused by the February 24, 1996, destruction by the Cuban Government of two unarmed civilian aircraft” registered to the United States in international airspace north of Cuba.”
In 2004 the order was expanded to deny any monetary and material suppport to the Cuban government, and in 2016 and 2018 it was modified based on continued disturbances or threatened disturbances of U.S. international relations with Cuba.
Finally the recent order banned the “unauthorized entry of any U.S.-registered vessel into Cuban territorial waters . .. . because such entry would facilitate a mass migration from Cuba” which would pose “a disturbance or threaened disturbance of the international relations of”
the U.S.
Order Protecting Data of U.S. Citizens[2]
This order protects the data of U.S. citizens from espionage by other states, including those the U.S. has determined to be sponsors of terrorism, including Cuba.
A White House statement asserted that “companies are collecting more data from Americans than ever and it is often sold and resold legally through data brokers. Commercial data brokers and other companies can sell it to countries of interest or to entities controlled by those countries, and may fall into the hands of foreign intelligence services, armies or companies controlled by foreign governments.
It also specifically vetoes the transfer of genomic information, biometric data, personal health, geolocation, financial and other types of personal information.
=================================
[1] White House, Notice of the Continuation of the National Emergency with respect to Cuba and of the Emergency Authority Relating to the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels (Feb. 21, 2024); The US extends the state of national emergency with respect to Cuba for one more year, Diario de Cuba (Feb. 29, 2024)
[2] White House, Executive Order on Preventing access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern (Feb. 28, 2024); Biden signs an order to protect the data of Americans from the Cuban regime, Dirio de Cuba (Feb. 28, 2024)