“Although Facebook claims its users are its top priority, its clients are not its users. Facebook’s clients are instead the many advertisers and other companies that want access to its users’ data.”
Apps such as TikTok and FaceApp are hugely popular. They are fun and allow people to connect with friends. But these apps may also pose threats to personal data and even national security. Susan Ariel Aaronson looked at the data risks posed by apps that store troves of personal data.
The rapid development of apps such as these poses challenges for policy makers. Dan Ciuriak and Maria Ptashkina outlined a new architecture for regulating data and digital trade. They explain that domestic policy needs to be redefined for the digital age and must be connected with trade agreements to manage international data flows. Unfortunately, as Robert Fay noted to the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on International Trade, our agreements are not data ready. “We have likely given up domestic policy flexibility on data and didn’t even realize it,” he stated about the Canada-United States-Mexico deal.