UK-India CETA Chapter 12: Digital Trade
Text of chapter 12 of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and India.
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This chapter will reduce unjustifiable barriers to digital trade and promote compatibility of digital trading systems, including through supporting the legal recognition of electronic contracts and electronic authentication.
The chapter safeguards consumers and businesses. Software owners cannot be made to transfer or disclose source code and the UK and India will ensure that measures are in place to protect consumers involved in digital trade from harmful commercial activities.
The chapter includes provisions on cross border data flows and data localisation, which will allow the UK the opportunity to negotiate these rules with India when they agree similar commitments with other FTA partners. This commitment does not affect the UK’s high standards of data protection, and any transfer of personal data will still be protected under the UK’s data protection law.
The agreement is not yet in force. Both the UK and India are required to complete their respective domestic procedures for the agreement to come into effect. Once ratified by both countries, businesses will be able to trade under its terms.