Washington — The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) offered details in a filing to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on trade barriers U.S. Internet and technology services face due to foreign censorship practices. The ITC is currently investigating the effects of foreign censorship on U.S. businesses, and solicited comments from stakeholders by Thursday for the first part of its investigation.
In its filing today, CCIA described government practices from internet shutdowns to content restrictions in various countries including India, Turkey, China, and Russia, and where those actions implicated trade concerns for U.S. exporters. These comments supplement CCIA’s testimony at the ITC’s July 1 public hearing.
The following can be attributed to CCIA policy counsel Rachael Stelly:
“These investigations are an opportunity for the ITC to reveal the real threats of government-imposed censorship to rules-based trade and internet openness. We appreciate the ITC investigating this issue to provide information to those advancing U.S. economic and diplomatic goals. Filtering or banning access to information online is questionable from both a trade and human rights perspective as it curtails the democratizing effects and economic benefits of the internet.”