This article examines the debate over digital trade and human rights, published in World Trade Re... more This article examines the debate over digital trade and human rights, published in World Trade Review
This policy brief for the Global Commission on Internet Governance examines how governments use t... more This policy brief for the Global Commission on Internet Governance examines how governments use trade policies to regulate the Internet and its implications for digital rights and Internet Governance.
Governor Adlai E. Stevenson thought trade policy was boring; he once described it as one field wh... more Governor Adlai E. Stevenson thought trade policy was boring; he once described it as one field where the greatest need is for fresh clichés. He had a point. In the long period that the United States used tariffs to protect, to nurture specific sectors, and to finance government, some Americans described trade policymaking as undemocratic and inequitable. After 1934, when Congress authorized bilateral trade liberalization, some Americans again argued that trade policymaking was undemocratic and inequitable. Despite changes to the US and ...
Abstract: This article briefly discusses how China has performed in the WTO and the implications ... more Abstract: This article briefly discusses how China has performed in the WTO and the implications of its failure to enforce its own laws; a possible violation of its accession commitments. I argue that China's membership in the WTO has provided benefits for the world's people, but China is exporting its inadequate governance, with implications for the rule of law under the WTO.
Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one h... more Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one hand, they want to encourage the flow of information across borders in the interest of commerce, education, technology, and scientific progress. On the other hand, at times government officials need to restrict the free flow of information in order to achieve important policy objectives such as preventing spam, piracy, and hacking as well as protecting national security, public morals, and privacy. In addition, policymakers must find ways to ensure that the rules governing cross-border information work effectively across nations and systems, reflecting the ideal of the global interoperable Internet) 2 . Policymakers can indirectly or directly restrict information flows either by changing national policies and laws or by regulating online service providers Birnhack and Elkin-Koren, 2003: 7, 24-26).
Recognition of the childhood obesity crisis led to development of Project Healthy Schools (PHS) i... more Recognition of the childhood obesity crisis led to development of Project Healthy Schools (PHS) in 2004. The goal of PHS, a community-University of Michigan collaborative is to improve overall and cardiovascular health of middle school students through school-based programming and environmental change. To date, 27 schools/17,691 students have participated including 4,200 who have participated in research. PHS uses a socio-ecological model to implement education and promote school environmental/policy change and engage community support. Outcome measures: height/weight (BMI), 3-minute step test, resting heart rate, blood pressure, lipid profile, random glucose and before/after behavioral survey reveal significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors and healthy behaviors at 4 year follow up across diverse populations. Engaging many diverse partners to match school needs is a significant practice for program success. Assessment of school and community readiness prior to program ...
Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one h... more Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one hand, they want to encourage the flow of information across borders in the interest of commerce, education, technology, and scientific progress. On the other hand, at times government officials need to restrict the free flow of information in order to achieve important policy objectives such as preventing spam, piracy, and hacking as well as protecting national security, public morals, and privacy. In addition, policymakers must find ways to ensure that the rules governing cross-border information work effectively across nations and systems, reflecting the ideal of the global interoperable Internet) 2 . Policymakers can indirectly or directly restrict information flows either by changing national policies and laws or by regulating online service providers Birnhack and Elkin-Koren, 2003: 7, 24-26).
ABSTRACT Herein, we discuss how trade policies, agreements, bans and strategies could affect Inte... more ABSTRACT Herein, we discuss how trade policies, agreements, bans and strategies could affect Internet openness, Internet governance, and Internet freedom in the U.S. EU and Canada. We do not discuss telecommunications or e-commerce issues. We note that despite the shared goal of promoting internet openness and stability, the 3 trade behemoths do not consistently cooperate. Without such cooperation, we may see a more fragmented web, more digital protectionism, and fewer e-opportunities.
Finding: The Internet has empowered more people to trade information, services and goods. The Int... more Finding: The Internet has empowered more people to trade information, services and goods. The Internet is both a platform for trade and a technology transforming trade, empowering more people to become market actors online.
This article examines the debate over digital trade and human rights, published in World Trade Re... more This article examines the debate over digital trade and human rights, published in World Trade Review
This policy brief for the Global Commission on Internet Governance examines how governments use t... more This policy brief for the Global Commission on Internet Governance examines how governments use trade policies to regulate the Internet and its implications for digital rights and Internet Governance.
Governor Adlai E. Stevenson thought trade policy was boring; he once described it as one field wh... more Governor Adlai E. Stevenson thought trade policy was boring; he once described it as one field where the greatest need is for fresh clichés. He had a point. In the long period that the United States used tariffs to protect, to nurture specific sectors, and to finance government, some Americans described trade policymaking as undemocratic and inequitable. After 1934, when Congress authorized bilateral trade liberalization, some Americans again argued that trade policymaking was undemocratic and inequitable. Despite changes to the US and ...
Abstract: This article briefly discusses how China has performed in the WTO and the implications ... more Abstract: This article briefly discusses how China has performed in the WTO and the implications of its failure to enforce its own laws; a possible violation of its accession commitments. I argue that China's membership in the WTO has provided benefits for the world's people, but China is exporting its inadequate governance, with implications for the rule of law under the WTO.
Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one h... more Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one hand, they want to encourage the flow of information across borders in the interest of commerce, education, technology, and scientific progress. On the other hand, at times government officials need to restrict the free flow of information in order to achieve important policy objectives such as preventing spam, piracy, and hacking as well as protecting national security, public morals, and privacy. In addition, policymakers must find ways to ensure that the rules governing cross-border information work effectively across nations and systems, reflecting the ideal of the global interoperable Internet) 2 . Policymakers can indirectly or directly restrict information flows either by changing national policies and laws or by regulating online service providers Birnhack and Elkin-Koren, 2003: 7, 24-26).
Recognition of the childhood obesity crisis led to development of Project Healthy Schools (PHS) i... more Recognition of the childhood obesity crisis led to development of Project Healthy Schools (PHS) in 2004. The goal of PHS, a community-University of Michigan collaborative is to improve overall and cardiovascular health of middle school students through school-based programming and environmental change. To date, 27 schools/17,691 students have participated including 4,200 who have participated in research. PHS uses a socio-ecological model to implement education and promote school environmental/policy change and engage community support. Outcome measures: height/weight (BMI), 3-minute step test, resting heart rate, blood pressure, lipid profile, random glucose and before/after behavioral survey reveal significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors and healthy behaviors at 4 year follow up across diverse populations. Engaging many diverse partners to match school needs is a significant practice for program success. Assessment of school and community readiness prior to program ...
Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one h... more Policymakers are faced with similar tough choices about information (or data) flows. On the one hand, they want to encourage the flow of information across borders in the interest of commerce, education, technology, and scientific progress. On the other hand, at times government officials need to restrict the free flow of information in order to achieve important policy objectives such as preventing spam, piracy, and hacking as well as protecting national security, public morals, and privacy. In addition, policymakers must find ways to ensure that the rules governing cross-border information work effectively across nations and systems, reflecting the ideal of the global interoperable Internet) 2 . Policymakers can indirectly or directly restrict information flows either by changing national policies and laws or by regulating online service providers Birnhack and Elkin-Koren, 2003: 7, 24-26).
ABSTRACT Herein, we discuss how trade policies, agreements, bans and strategies could affect Inte... more ABSTRACT Herein, we discuss how trade policies, agreements, bans and strategies could affect Internet openness, Internet governance, and Internet freedom in the U.S. EU and Canada. We do not discuss telecommunications or e-commerce issues. We note that despite the shared goal of promoting internet openness and stability, the 3 trade behemoths do not consistently cooperate. Without such cooperation, we may see a more fragmented web, more digital protectionism, and fewer e-opportunities.
Finding: The Internet has empowered more people to trade information, services and goods. The Int... more Finding: The Internet has empowered more people to trade information, services and goods. The Internet is both a platform for trade and a technology transforming trade, empowering more people to become market actors online.
I examine transparency initiatives such as the UK Antislavery Act and California Supply Chain Law... more I examine transparency initiatives such as the UK Antislavery Act and California Supply Chain Laws to discuss their effects on labor rights, trade, and business practice.
The Internet and Jurisdiction Project, an NGO working on Internet and Jurisdiction issues, summed... more The Internet and Jurisdiction Project, an NGO working on Internet and Jurisdiction issues, summed up the basic governance dilemma posed by the Internet. On the one hand, policymakers must 'preserve the global nature of cyberspace while respecting national laws.' On the other hand, they must 'fight misuses and abuses of the Internet, while ensuring the protection of human rights. (De la Chapelle and Fehlinger 2016, 1). Trade agreements provide a way to solve this governance dilemma, but they are not without flaws. Herein, I examine four chapters of the TPP—the Services Chapter, which delineates what kind of services are covered; the E-commerce Chapter, which governs cross-border information flows; the Transparency Chapter, which regulates how governments provide information to their citizens; and the Exceptions Chapter, which sets rules governing how and when nations may breach their obligations. I show that these chapters may help Internet users and policymakers advance Internet openness and make it harder for officials to restrict information flows –in those cases where doing so would have a trade impact. Moreover, citizens can more easily share information as to what their government is doing. TPP also contains transparency requirements that could bring much needed sunshine, due process, and increased political participation to trade (and Internet related) policymaking in countries, such as Malaysia. However, TPP's ability to limit censorship and filtering is limited. First, not all information flows are cross-border and hence subject to trade rules. Therefore, policymakers cannot always rely on trade agreements to defend Internet openness in countries, such as Malaysia. Second, these agreements provide clear exceptions that allow governments to restrict information flows when they deem necessary to achieve important domestic policy goals. Government officials can use national security, privacy, or public morals rationales to restrict information flows as long as they do so in a non-trade distorting manner. Thus, repressive states could use the exceptions to block information flows and other states might be reluctant to challenge these exceptions as discriminatory because trade diplomats recognize that they could also be challenged later if they took similar actions. Third, many Internet activists do not take kindly to the idea that trade agreements should become the main venue to regulate cross-border information flows. Meanwhile, proponents of using trade agreements to govern cross-border information flows have not developed clear and compelling arguments as to how these agreements will benefit Internet users, improve Internet governance and enhance human welfare. Until they do, Internet users are unlikely to support efforts to regulate the global Internet with trade agreements.
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