WASHINGTON – Today, associations representing major sectors of the U.S. economy urged the U.S. Department of Commerce to ensure any data collected as part of the Biden Administration’s ongoing supply chain review is adequately protected and that the department maintain ongoing communication and collaboration with the private sector. In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the groups highlighted the importance of data collection when it comes to developing solutions to ongoing supply chain challenges but noted concerns with the administration’s approach in seeking to collect sensitive data from companies, and how the U.S. government intends to use the data it collects.

“Our members are supportive of the Biden Administration’s interest in addressing bottlenecks in the supply chain that may be contributing to this shortage, including improving transparency and facilitating information flow across the various segments of the supply chain, and we agree that good data is vital for guiding the design of good policy,” the associations wrote. “We commend the U.S. Department of Commerce for seeking data-driven solutions to the current challenge through this [Request for Information], and offer the following constructive suggestions on how best to protect and consider the data collected.

“First, we urge the U.S. Department of Commerce to treat information submitted thereto with the sensitivity and anonymity necessary to avoid jeopardizing the dealings of any given business,” they continued. “Second, much of the information requested is dynamic, with bottlenecks changing on a frequent basis, so we caution that the RFI may not yield information that presents an accurate picture of the semiconductor supply chain. Third, we encourage the U.S. Department of Commerce to consider the nature of this unique challenge and how the information requested through this RFI may unintentionally distort the realities of the semiconductor supply chain. This underscores why the ongoing exchange of information and coordination between government and the private sector is vital.”

The letter is in response to the Department’s Request for Information (RFI) for Risks in the Semiconductor Supply Chain, which is part of President Biden’s Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains.

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Security Industry Association (SIA), TechNet, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce signed the letter.

Read the full letter here.

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