Report Links Net Freedom, Trade
As it works to push other countries to allow the free flow of Information via the Internet and other technologies, the United States can address the issue more promptly by pushing for enforcement of trade laws, which contain provisions that could help promote Internet freedom, according to a report released Friday.
The report from the Computer & Communications Industry Association was released a day after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to make Internet freedom a key diplomatic priority. It also comes a week after Google announced it would stop censoring search results for users in China and possibly end its operations in the country in response to a cyberattack originating from China.
The report cites several reasons why Internet censorship is a trade issue. The report notes that since many U.S. companies are vendors of information products and services, "information discrimination undermines market access for electronic commerce, and combating it should top our trade agenda." The report also argued that information censorship is a "non-tariff trade barrier," which the United States seeks to eliminate through trade agreements. According to the report, censorship is an "unfair rule of origin" because it blocks U.S. content. "We must elevate this issue to the top of our diplomatic and trade agendas, thereby helping other nations understand our commitment to curbing threats to Internet freedom in whatever form they manifest," the report said.
CCIA said the United States should lead by example by implementing network neutrality rules to ensure no government entity or company can control Internet access and by promoting "balanced intellectual property" laws that do not restrict Internet access in the enforcement of IP rights. In addition, CCIA called for improved coordination between the State Department and the U.S. Trade Representative through the State Department's Global Internet Freedom Task Force; the USTR to adopt a "bolder approach to foreign roadblocks and respond forcefully to protectionist decisions abroad; and the United States to advocate for "common sense" Internet laws in other countries.
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Internet Freedom
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