ISDS Case Map
digital economy | e-commerce
The European Union will seek to break down barriers to the flow of data between businesses in future trade deals, as it tries to promote a more digital economy while also protecting privacy.
Reliance on digital technologies can further concentrate the market dominance of vertically integrated agribusinesses and transnational corporations who control national and global supply chains.
Decades ago it was pharmaceuticals, oil and food. Now tech giants want data to be the next frontier in the free trade agenda.
Many of the intellectual property provisions raised by the European Union in this agreement are bad for internet users.
The implicit cross-border data flow commitments do not have a sufficient safeguard. This is not compatible with the EU Fundamental rights system.
Some rules proposed for NAFTA's Digital Trade chapter are troublesome.
The Trump administration is pushing to add legal protections in Nafta that would limit the liability of internet giants such as Google and Facebook, marking the latest in a tug-of-war as policy makers balance policing the web with protecting free speech.
MEPs are exerting pressure on the European Commission to draw up rules on data flows in foreign trade agreements, an area where the EU executive has so far not pinned down any tangible policy.
BusinessEurope has a clear position on this issue. We support a solution that enables cross-border data flows and effectively tackles forced data localisation when it is disproportionate and unjustified.
