The legally binding Digital Economy Framework Agreement addresses core technical areas, including source code protection, end-to-end digital trade, and artificial intelligence governance. According to the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, improving interoperability across sectors like logistics and e-commerce will empower businesses of all sizes to expand throughout the region. To balance ambitious targets with diverse national capabilities, the standalone pact incorporates built-in exceptions for privacy laws, business confidentiality, and national security. This phased structure establishes essential data transfer standards while permitting member countries to delay full participati…
Key points
The agreement establishes baseline data transfer regulations while permitting member nati…: The agreement establishes baseline data transfer regulations while permitting member nations with lower digital readiness to join at a later stage.
Enhanced interoperability in logistics, payments, and supply chains is intended to help b…: Enhanced interoperability in logistics, payments, and supply chains is intended to help businesses of all sizes scale across the region.
The pact balances ambitious regional economic integration with the diverse technical read…: The pact balances ambitious regional economic integration with the diverse technical readiness and regulatory priorities of individual member states.
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Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the pact took several years to negotiate and reflects the diverse state of readiness among member countries.
MANILA: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states on Saturday (Nov 14) signed the bloc's first region-wide, legally binding Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong describing the pact as reflecting the diverse state of readiness among member countries.
Noting that it has taken the bloc “several years” to negotiate the deal, Mr Gan said: “To be able to negotiate an agreement that is on one hand sufficiently ambitious and at the same time acceptable to all member countries, is not easy.”
The DEFA is ASEAN’s first standalone digital economy agreement, said the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI) in a press release.
The deal lays the foundation for closer digital economic integration and opens up opportunities for businesses in ASEAN's growing digital market, said the ministry.
The agreement covers cross-border data flows, end-to-end digital trade, protection of source code, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
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The executive identity of Jensen Huang has become inseparable from the technology firm he helped establish decades ago. Because his leadership spans the entire history of the company, observers now largely view the co-founder and the corporate entity as one and the same. This deep association highlights the singular influence a long-tenured chief can hold over a major market player.
The electric automaker is expanding its autonomous transit technology directly to consumers by requiring a monthly autonomy fee alongside the vehicle purchase. Unsupervised operation will mirror the existing deployment boundaries established by the company's commercial robotaxi network. Nationwide availability will ultimately depend on securing necessary regulatory clearances across individual jurisdictions.