US CORPORATE AGENDA ON E-COMMERCE******************************************************************** There is immense pressure from the US on developing countries to sign on to an international digital trade regime at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). What are innocuously called ‘e-commerce’ negotiations would be a free-for-all for US Big Tech to continue to increase their control over the economy and the political process. Provisions such as free cross-border data flows without compensation, extension of US private law over e-signatures and e-authentication,and a ban on requiring local presence will limit our ability to ensure digital development in the public interest. These rules are based on principles designed by corporations such as Amazon and Google and are intended to help these firms dominate markets in the developing world.Trump has been pushing India to allow unbridled access to these corporations which will enable the US to exercise power over digital technology. Such an agreement would be disastrous for the Indian economy for decades to come, and would push farmers, traders and workers into further misery and compromise our digital industrialisation pathway.