TOKYO -- As countries such as China tighten control over information flowing across their borders, a group of World Trade Organization members led by the U.S., the European Union, Japan, Singapore and Australia will propose rules that prohibit excessive interference by governments into business-related data.
The proposal, to be announced this month, will mark the WTO's first-ever rules governing data in commerce if adopted by the body. They will include a ban on governments forcing companies to disclose such secrets as source codes and algorithms.
