Global digital trade rules lag behind fast moving technology

Digital trade policies around the world are not evolving at the same speed as innovation, according to Victoria A Espinel, President of the Business Software Alliance, an international policy think tank for the software industry. In an interview to a publication, she said the United States currently has more digital technology jobs than it can fill and needs highly skilled workers, including global talent, to continue driving innovation and growth.

Highlighting the importance of digital security, Espinel said encryption is one of the main tools companies rely on to protect customers and clients. She explained that BSA introduced encryption principles because certain government proposals could weaken digital security instead of strengthening it. “Encryption is one of the main tools companies use to protect their customers and clients. We work with many law enforcement agencies but we are concerned that some approaches that the governments have been talking about would undermine security and they would do more harm than good. And one of them is undermining encryption. We understand that it is a complicated issue. So that was our motivation for working on the encryption principles.”

On India’s digital encryption standards, which have faced criticism during efforts to redraft policy, she stressed the need for flexibility in digital regulation. “It is important that there is some flexibility in the regulation. Innovation in cyber security and encryption happens very quickly, so having a standard that is really frozen in time seems like a bad idea to us. If the government has to set standards, we would like them to be aligned globally and flexible to make room for innovation.” Addressing concerns about digital data sharing, she referred to Microsoft and Symantec as examples of companies that work with governments worldwide. She noted that during the Paris terror attacks, information stored in Redmond was shared with French Police within 45 minutes when lawfully requested. However, she warned that forcing digital back doors or breaking encryption could expose systems to bad actors.

On digital workforce mobility and outsourcing concerns following the Trump administration taking charge, Espinel said the digital industry has more jobs than it can fill. She added that any policy that makes it harder to access highly skilled digital talent could slow innovation and weaken the global digital economy.