White House drafts order that could restrict Amazon, Microsoft global cloud computing operations

In an effort to prevent cyberattacks, the Commerce Department could impose restrictions on US cloud companies operating abroad, including in China

US technology companies fear the proposed executive order could give the government new power to interfere in its business transactions overseas

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Demonstrators hold signs during a protest outside the home of Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos in New York on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 6:33pm, 5 Dec 2020Updated: 6:37pm, 5 Dec 2020

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Steven Overly and Eric Geller o n politico.com on December 4, 2020.

The Trump administration is weighing an executive order that would let the government restrict the international operations of US cloud computing companies such as Amazon and Microsoft in an effort to protect against foreign cyberattacks, according to four people familiar with the matter.

The executive order would allow the Commerce Department to prohibit US cloud providers from partnering with foreign cloud companies that offer safe haven to hackers and give the Commerce secretary the ability to ban those foreign providers from operating in the US, the people said.

The draft order is designed to deter malicious foreign actors from using cloud service providers to quickly and anonymously conduct cyberattacks, according to people. All spoke anonymously because the order is not yet finalised.

It would also give the US another mechanism to keep the heat on China, which US officials have repeatedly designated an economic and security threat and which President Donald Trump has made a major priority in his administration.

Senior agency officials met to discuss the order Thursday and aim to have it on Trump’s desk before the end of the year, one US official confirmed – an aggressive timeline that, if successful, would give US companies limited time to push back.