Enabling Trade in the Era of Information Technologies: Breaking Down Barriers to the Free Flow of Information

The transformative economic benefits of the Internet are under threat, as increasing numbers ofgovernments move to impose onerous limits on information flow. The international communitymust take action to ensure the free flow of information online. Governments should honor existinginternational obligations including under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement, preventtrade barriers created by information regulation, and develop new international rules that provideenhanced protection against these trade barriers of the 21st century.To realize the full potential of the Internet as a global marketplace and platform for innovation, policymakers in the United States, the European Union, and elsewhere should pursue three steps tobreak down barriers to free trade and Internet commerce: ...