From the report: "This
policy brief examines how the US, the EU and Canada use trade policies to
govern the Internet
at home and across borders. The three trade giants use trade agreements to
encourage e-commerce, reduce online barriers to trade, and to develop shared
policies in a world where technology is rapidly changing and where governments
compete to disseminate their regulatory approaches. Policymakers use export
controls, trade bans or targeted sanctions to protect Internet
users in other countries or to prevent officials of other countries from using Internet
related technologies in ways that undermine the rights of individuals abroad.
Finally, policymakers may use trade agreements to challenge other governments’
online rules and policies as trade barriers. We discuss how these policies,
agreements, bans and strategies could affect Internet
openness, Internet
governance, and Internet freedom. We do not address
telecommunications or e-commerce definitional issues." Read more
