Protectionism, free trade and security up in the cloud
December 12, 2012
The US Ambassador’s rallying cry against “data protectionism” reflects US hopes for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Plus, it says a lot about the future of cloud computing.
It was a peculiar piece, out of the blue, from Washington’s man in Australia: yesterday, Fairfax ran an op-ed from US Ambassador Jeff Bleich about “cloud protectionism” and why it was important that the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation currently underway (this week, in Auckland) pave the way for the removal of restrictions on movement of data across borders:
“Like people who once thought keeping their money hidden under the mattress was better than having it in a bank, some voices across the region, and even in Australia, have called for limiting the flow of data across borders, and requiring firms to install local data centres in each market to ensure local ‘control’. This ‘beggar thy neighbour’ protectionism would be just as self-defeating in the digital economy as in every other sector.”…
The piece instantly raised hackles among opponents of the TPP, who see it (correctly) as a vehicle for the United States to re-fight battles on intellectual property it lost in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and push the interests of the copyright cartel and big pharmaceutical companies.
Moreover, the Patriot Act, which enables the US government to demand US companies turn over private data that isn’t even held on servers on US soil, remains a key concern for the entire cloud computing industry, although the genial ambassador neglected to mention the legislation in his discussion of the issue…
Read more from the source @ http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/12/protectionism-free-trade-and-security-up-in-the-cloud/