OTTAWA—Provisions embedded in the newly released North American trade pact could prevent internet providers from having to quickly take down online content in what is being seen as a potential victory for freedom of speech online. The digital trade provisions in the newly unveiled U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement could limit geographical restrictions on where data is stored and roll back requirements that companies wanting to do digital business have a physical presence in a particular jurisdiction. ( LARS HAGBERG / AFP/GETTY IMAGES )Geist says it may be possible to embed the cross-border rules into Canadian law. The wording is new for the continental trade partners, which didn’t have similar provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement, but it is found in other agreements that Canada has signed. Article Continued BelowSusan Aaronson, an expert on digital trade from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., says the USMCA falls short around data rules, which is why she is urging the Trudeau government to think more about a national data strategy.

Source: thestar October 02, 2018 20:03 UTC