DIGITAL SOVEREIGNITY AND GLOBAL EQUITY

DIGITAL SOVEREIGNITY AND GLOBAL EQUITY : GLOBAL GOVERNANCE, TRADE AND COMPETITION IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

AUTHOR : POOMPAAVAI.K

DEPT : BBA.LLB.(Hons) 4^TH YEAR

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILATION : DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY , SCHOOL OF LAW, THIRUCHIRAPALLI.

EMAIL ID : paavaipoo63@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

The development of new digital technologies has resulted in significant transformations in daily life, from the arrival of online shopping to more fundamental changes in the ways we work and communicate. Many of these changes raise questions that transcend market access and liberalization, and demand cooperation and coherent regulatory design. International trade regulation has hitherto not reacted in a forward-looking manner to the digital revolution and, particularly at the multilateral level, legal engineering has yielded few tangible results. This book examines whether WTO laws possess the necessary flexibility and resilience to accommodate the changes brought about by burgeoning digital trade. By revealing both the potential and the limitations of the WTO framework, it provides a broad picture of the interaction between digital technologies and trade regulation, links the often disconnected discourses of international trade law, intellectual property and cyber law and explores discrete problems in different domains of global trade regulation. Global governance, trade, and competition in the digital age are converging, challenging traditional regulatory frameworks due to digital platforms, cross-border data flows, and AI. Effective governance requires adapting to digital trends like cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital access, with a focus on balancing competition law and policy approaches, as discussed in the UNCTAD paper on digital markets. Key areas for presentation include the impact of digital technology on international trade, the role of non-state actors, and the need for new, adaptive regulatory frameworks.

KEYWORDS:

Digital technologies, WTO, GATT, GATS, TRIPS, preferential trade agreements, international trade regulation, governance.