The CLOUD Act is expected to become law in the US shortly.
Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) is a bill introduced by Republican Sen Hatch. This bill would allow the Trump administration to force US companies to hand over African (and any other data) with due process in America, even if that data is stored in another independent country.
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From an African perspective: More than 99% of all Africans do not have the resources to defend a case on a faraway continent or to resist a foreign power from taking their data. With or without American due process. If you are an African ask yourself one simple question: Can you afford a protracted legal case in a US supreme court? Most Africans simply trust in the benign domination of the huge USA monopolies that dominate all of our daily lives, most African ICT innovators simply have no opportunity to gain foothold in developing sustainable new technology as true African innovators are targeted and taken out of play by US companies and actors.
From an American perspective: The Trump government wants to be able to obtain data without having to worry about the data being held in a shithole country, or anywhere else on the planet.
It is imperative that African governments resist signing any treaty with the USA regarding American access to African data. In fact, time has come for Africa to think about legislation controlling African data and forcing the huge multinational American companies that control the Internet and all of our daily lives, to store African data in Africa and under African laws. Why should African data be stored in the USA or anywhere else?
The American argument that Africa is a shithole and does not have laws or adequate courts which allows African citizens due process, is fake news and only serves to benefit, enforce and commit to American dominance and control of the Internet.
In South Africa we can simply add to our already existing legislation:
Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002
No. 25 of 2002