[CTC] Trade rules pushed by big tech could undermine WA regulatory legislation

[Arthur Stamoulis]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/trade-rules-pushed-by-big-tech-could-undermine-wa-regulatory-legislation/ar-AA1rzaYx?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds

Trade rules pushed by big tech could undermine WA regulatory legislation
Story by Eric Tegethoff

Groups are warning technology companies could undermine protections on a
number of issues with their push for certain provisions in international
trade agreements, known as digital trade rules.

Julie Bouanna, executive director of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition,
said the policies could limit regulations on Big Tech passed in Washington
state.

"The People's Privacy Act, legislation on artificial intelligence oversight
and the right to repair," Bouanna outlined. "This is legislation that we
see popping up in Washington but also, really, across the country as we're
waking up to Big Tech's outsized influence on our everyday lives."

The People's Privacy Act
<https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?Year=2023&BillNumber=1616> was proposed
legislation in Olympia, which would have allowed residents to correct and
delete personal information collected on data servers. The tech industry
argued trade agreements include exemption provisions for certain policies.
It also said overregulation in areas like artificial intelligence could
stifle the technology.

Bouanna countered there are legitimate concerns about the effects of
including the policies tech companies are pushing for in trade agreements.

"These are trade rules that would essentially allow corporations to
sidestep local privacy laws and shield their technology from government
oversight," Bouanna explained. "Making it harder to hold them accountable."

Washington state lawmakers have also introduced legislation to increase
transparency for algorithm-based decision-making to prevent discrimination
<https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1951&Year=2023&Initiative=False>
from
AI and allow for more affordable fixes to products through "right to repair
<https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=1933&Year=2023&Initiative=false>"
legislation, which has been adopted in other states like Oregon.

Bouanna noted all the policies could be affected by digital trade rules.
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