New WTO text on e-commerce shows divisions over privacy, data flows

Participants in the plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce at the World Trade Organization have largely agreed on text for a range of digital trade-facilitating provisions, but language on difficult issues like privacy and cross-border data flows remains elusive as negotiators disagree on how to approach the topics, according to a copy of the latest consolidated negotiating document. The e-commerce talks are one of several joint statement initiatives being undertaken in Geneva by a subset of WTO members – in this case,...