Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered US diplomats to lobby against data localization worldwide, arguing such policies disrupt global data flows and threaten AI development. The State Department cable, dated February 18, claims data sovereignty mandates increase costs, cybersecurity risks, and enable government surveillance. The policy position is technically sound—data localization does fragment the internet and create security vulnerabilities.

However, the messenger severely undermines the message. The US has systematically destroyed its credibility on this issue through the TikTok ban, which forced the same kind of data localization it now condemns. Both Trump and Biden supported the ban, with the Supreme Court blessing it as legitimate national security protection. This bipartisan action demonstrated that the US sees nothing wrong with forcing foreign companies to localize data or sell operations.

The timing couldn't be worse. European allies are rushing to build digital walls precisely because of recent US behavior—arbitrary trade wars, cozying up to dictators, and showing zero respect for international cooperation. Countries don't trust the US with their citizens' data anymore. The cable's framing around protecting American AI companies' access to foreign data strips away any pretense of defending internet freedom, revealing it as a commercial demand dressed in freedom rhetoric.