<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>New leaks confirm TiSA
proposals that would undermine civil liberties</b><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/new-leaks-confirm-tisa-undermine-civil-liberties/">https://edri.org/new-leaks-confirm-tisa-undermine-civil-liberties/</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://twitter.com/edri/status/802077350682914817">https://twitter.com/edri/status/802077350682914817</a><br>
<br>
Today, on 25 November 2016, German blog <a
href="https://netzpolitik.org/">Netzpolitik.org</a> in
association with Greenpeace published new leaked documents
concerning the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), a “trade”
agreement that is currently being negotiated between 23 members of
the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the European Union.<br>
<br>
<b>The new leaks confirm the problems identified in previous
leaks, including serious threats to freedom of expression and
protection of personal data of European citizens.</b><br>
<br>
"The proposals on privatised censorship are particularly
worrying", said Joe McNamee, Executive Director of European
Digital Rights (EDRi). "Creating a power to undermine our free
speech with no accountability is reckless and contrary to
literally all relevant provisions of international law."<br>
<br>
In September 2016, <a
href="https://edri.org/tisa-leaks-set-alarm-bells-ringing/">Wikileaks
and Greenpeace Netherlands published</a> other documents on
TiSA. In the light of today’s leaks, what’s new from a civil
liberties perspective?<br>
<br>
<u><b>1. Liability protections:</b></u> while having provisions to
promote freedom of expression will be a step forward, the latest
US made a proposal in TiSA which does not respect the rule of law
and would remove rights to freedom of expression. The proposal is
that internet companies would not be liable for any damage caused
by voluntary restrictions of individuals’ free speech if they
undertake such restrictions “in good faith” because they feel that
the communications are “harmful or objectionable”. The proposal
even extends to when this damage is caused implementing
regulation-by-algorithm – in other words when using technical
means, such as automatic filtering, to do so. This would privatise
the regulation of the human right to receive, impart and seek
information. It would almost inevitably <b>lead into privatised
censorship of completely legal information by governments </b>(through
pressures to online companies), or online companies themselves
(acting in their own commercial interest).<br>
<br>
<u><b>2. Net neutrality:</b></u> The EU had taken a step towards
the right direction and proposed some improvements to the text on
net neutrality, the principle that all the internet traffic has to
be treated equally, which is crucial for fair competition between
online services, for innovation, and for freedom of expression.
The leaks show that the US and Colombia proposal officially oppose
these improvements.<b> The US has net neutrality rules and this
position was taken before the elections. Why hasn’t it supported
the EU here?</b><br>
<br>
<u><b>3. Data flows: </b></u>The leaks show that the pressure to
include “data flows” and “free flow of data” in the agreement is
persistent. The European Commission announced previously that data
protection will be left out of TiSA. However, the European
Commission Directorate General for Trade (DG Trade) has stated
that they will ensure free data flows and provisions against data
localisation. Bringing these topics into the discussions will
almost inevitably<b> bring data protection and privacy onto the
negotiation table.</b><br>
<br>
A big coalition of organisations around the world <a
href="https://edri.org/files/TiSA/globalletter_dataprotection_privacy_20161102.pdf">is
worried about the proposals</a> in the draft core text, the
e-commerce, telecommunications, financial services and
localisation annexes of TiSA. These leaks are not reassuring.<br>
<br>
TiSA is being negotiated formally since March 2013. A Ministerial
Meeting to conclude the talks was scheduled on 5-6 December. The
meeting has been cancelled due to outstanding issues and the
recent developments in the US.<br>
<br>
<b>Read more:</b><br>
<br>
TiSA-leaks: Fundamental rights shall be levered out for free trade
– also in the internet (25.11.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://netzpolitik.org/2016/tisa-leaks-fundamental-rights-shall-be-levered-out-for-free-trade-also-in-the-internet/">https://netzpolitik.org/2016/tisa-leaks-fundamental-rights-shall-be-levered-out-for-free-trade-also-in-the-internet/</a><br>
<br>
Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), Annex on Electronic Commerce
(25.11.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2016/11/tisa_annex_on_electronic_commerce.pdf">https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2016/11/tisa_annex_on_electronic_commerce.pdf</a><br>
<br>
Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), Annex on Telecommunications
Services (25.11.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2016/11/tisa_annex_on_telecommunications_services.pdf">https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2016/11/tisa_annex_on_telecommunications_services.pdf</a><br>
<br>
Global letter on TiSA, data protection and privacy (02.11.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/files/TiSA/globalletter_dataprotection_privacy_20161102.pdf">https://edri.org/files/TiSA/globalletter_dataprotection_privacy_20161102.pdf</a><br>
<br>
Corporate-sponsored privacy confusion in the EU on trade and data
protection (12.10.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/corporate-sponsored-privacy-confusion-eu-trade-data-protection/">https://edri.org/corporate-sponsored-privacy-confusion-eu-trade-data-protection/</a><br>
<br>
TiSA leaks set alarm bells ringing (20.09.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/tisa-leaks-set-alarm-bells-ringing/">https://edri.org/tisa-leaks-set-alarm-bells-ringing/</a><br>
<br>
EDRi analysis of the TiSA leaks of September 2016 (20.09.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/files/tisaleaks_edrianalysis_20092016.pdf">https://edri.org/files/tisaleaks_edrianalysis_20092016.pdf</a><br>
<br>
EDRi’s position paper on TiSA (January 2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/files/TiSA_Position_Jan2016e.pdf">https://edri.org/files/TiSA_Position_Jan2016e.pdf</a><br>
<br>
Study launch: The EU can achieve data protection-proof trade
agreements (13.07.2016)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://edri.org/study-launch-eu-can-achieve-data-protection-proof-trade-agreements/">https://edri.org/study-launch-eu-can-achieve-data-protection-proof-trade-agreements/</a></font>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Maryant Fernandez Perez
Advocacy Manager
European Digital Rights
Rue Belliard 20
B- 1040 Brussels
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://edri.org">https://edri.org</a>
Tel: +32 2 274 25 70
PGP: D59A 1D3F 50CC 231B DCFE 3F2C 92FA 6F29 3D74 0B42
@edri | @maryantfp
Donate to EDRi! <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://edri.org/donate/">https://edri.org/donate/</a>
Subscribe to the EDRi-gram, our fortnightly roundup of digital rights news! <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://edri.org/newsletters/">http://edri.org/newsletters/</a>
</pre>
</body>
</html>