Digital Democracy Disallowed Under Trans Pacific Partnership | What's Left
In the past week, it has become widely recognized that the Trans PacificPartnership (TPP) undermines democratic control over many parts of oureconomy.
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Yet another example of TPP excess is that it explicitly forbids challenges to “Safe Harbour” styled laws, like the successful challenge that just happened in Europe. The result is that TPP solidifies the free reign US internet companies (and US spy agencies) have over Canadian user data.
If ratified, TPP will expand corporate control over knowledge, information and the use of data by the public. The agreement bans strict regulation over trans Pacific data transfer and storage, it undermines local regulation of drugs and expands monopoly rents of patents and copyright. The results are increased costs for consumers through privatization and undermined privacy.
All this adds to a growing list of concerns around the TPP such as undermining of crown corporations, local farming, supply management (and thus food security), labour rights, environmental protections, and even legal rights of citizens’ to challenge a company’s illegal activities (see the use of Investor State Dispute Settlement).
Even Democratic Presidential contenders Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have been forced to come out against the TPP. It seems like free trade may have gone too far even for some liberals.
More: [[https://citizenspress.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=27d7d00e19a37005743125d7e&id=8d4067910d&e=8484a6ba75][Hillary Clinton has broken with Obama on a major cornerstone of his legacy]]