GLOBAL
NYTimes: Google Is Building an A.I. Fence Around the Internet It Once Championed – Kate Conger
When Google prepared to go public in 2004, Larry Page, a co-founder of the company, wrote a letter to shareholders describing the internet firm’s responsibility to the world.
“We believe a well-functioning society should have abundant, free and unbiased access to high-quality information,” Mr. Page said.
Now in the age of artificial intelligence, Google appears to be shrinking back from the open web — and may be imperiling it.
For publishers, businesses, banks and others that relied on Google to funnel its billions of users to their websites, the impact has been unmistakable as the company has increasingly incorporated A.I. into search. Google’s users are no longer leaving Google after a search and are just reading its A.I.-generated answers, they said, which means fewer people are coming to their websites and search traffic has dropped.
EcofinAgency: BRICS Eye Connected Payment Systems to Boost Trade in Local Currencies – Olivier de Souza
The BRICS are considering ways to connect their fast payment systems and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to make cross-border settlements cheaper and increase the use of national currencies in trade.
The proposal remains under discussion ahead of the 2026 BRICS summit in India. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra confirmed on August 11 in Mumbai that several options are under consideration, including links between fast payment systems and CBDCs.
The proposal addresses a basic problem: cross-border payments are often more expensive and complex than domestic transactions. Links between fast payment systems could simplify some settlements, while CBDC interoperability could enable transactions between digital currencies issued by different central banks.
The initiative forms part of broader BRICS efforts to improve cross-border payment interoperability and increase the use of local currencies. It also complements work on BRICS Pay, which aims to facilitate transactions between member countries in their national currencies.
TechPolicyPress: Which ‘AI Sovereignty’ Are You Buying? – Haakon Huynh
For the European Union, “AI sovereignty” has meant restricting foreign cloud providers from sensitive workloads under its recently proposed Cloud and AI Development Act, reducing dependence in critical sectors at the price of higher costs and near-term capability gaps. For Malaysia, “AI sovereignty” has meant preserving an exit option by hosting both Amazon Web Services and Alibaba data centers, a strategy that potentially undermines territorial authority by exposing infrastructure on Malaysian soil to the extraterritorial reach of US and Chinese law. Clearly, “AI sovereignty” is a fuzzy concept that can be used to justify disparate—and even opposite—policy responses, which suggests that the term itself is underspecified. The threats are real, and governments are spending on and invoking “sovereignty” without agreeing on what it means, even if full stack AI sovereignty ultimately proves to be unattainable for most. What each government gets for its money depends on a distinction most have not made.
Given that gains in one dimension routinely come at the cost of another, governments should ask themselves a few questions when developing sovereignty policies and spell out which kind of sovereignty they actually need before spending money on it. Which kind of sovereignty does this measure actually protect? What does it cost in the other kinds? Does the gain advance a defined national objective better than the same money spent elsewhere? Left undefined, “AI sovereignty” will go on doing what it does now: costing enough to strain a budget while meaning little enough to justify almost anything.
ASIA
SCMP: China moves to join Brazil’s WTO fight over Trump’s forced labour tariffs
China has asked to join World Trade Organization consultations that Brazil opened against US tariffs of up to 37.5 per cent.
Beijing filed the request in Geneva on Monday, telling the trade body it held a substantial commercial interest in the case.
The move was first reported by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo and independently confirmed to the South China Morning Post by a Brazilian government source.
In the request, China said Washington could apply comparable measures to Chinese goods, and that such measures would affect all Chinese exports to the American market, subject to specific exemptions.
The grounds Beijing set out concern its own exports rather than the treatment of Brazilian goods. China has challenged Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 at the WTO since 2018. It argues the statute lets Washington determine violations and impose penalties without multilateral authorisation.
Reuters: Australia to make tech companies pay more outlets for content under reworked media law
Australia will raise the number of deals large tech firms must strike with local news outlets under a revamp of its media licensing laws to be introduced to parliament on Thursday, the government said, adding the measure would distribute advertising revenue to more domestic outlets.
Changes made after discussions between government and opposition would also require digital platforms to strike deals with at least eight media companies, up from six in an earlier draft.
The government also reinstated a cap limiting any single deal to 25% of a platform’s levy liability under the law, which is equal to 2.5% of a company’s Australian advertising revenue, with the amount they pay offset by the value of deals they strike.
TheGuardian: Trump wants ‘fair treatment’ in fight over Labor’s levy on tech giants to pay for news, US trade group warns – Josh Butler
A major US trade body has rubbished the Albanese government’s plan to make more big tech platforms pay for Australian journalism, issuing a veiled warning about how Donald Trump may respond to the “deteriorating trend”.
The National Foreign Trade Council said it was “disappointed” at the Australian government’s move to expand its News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) to take in Microsoft’s LinkedIn, amid trade tensions between Washington and Canberra including newly increased tariffs on Australian goods.
But competition experts in Australia say the government has not gone far enough in helping support news outlets whose content is being exploited by platforms such as Facebook and Google, and that the exclusion of AI platforms was a major flaw.
GroundNews: Australia hikes levy for tech giants that fail to strike local news deals
On Monday, the Australian government finalized the News Bargaining Incentive, requiring social media and search platforms—including LinkedIn—to pay a 2.5% levy on digital advertising revenue if they fail to secure six commercial agreements with local news publishers.
Officials introduced the stricter policy after major platforms like Meta previously sidestepped the 2021 Morrison-era News Media Bargaining Code by de-prioritizing news content rather than paying, creating significant bargaining power imbalances against Australian media businesses.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino confirmed the 2.5% levy applies to entities earning $250 million or more annually, while the government increased the offset for deals with small publishers to 200% to encourage broader regional support.
Govt.ofIndia: Press Release on the 200th Report of Committee on Commerce, Rajya Sabha
The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce headed by Ms. Dola Sen, M.P., Rajya Sabha presented its 200th Report on ‘Evaluation of India – US Trade Relations’ to both the Houses of Parliament on 6th August, 2026. In the Report, the Committee has evaluated the India – US Trade Relations, identified the key challenges arising from US tariff measures affecting various sectors of economy and made recommendations to tackle the significant concerns within these sectors.
The Committee further recommends the Department to formulate a dedicated framework for the digital economy and services sector, focusing on harmonizing cross-border data flows and protecting intellectual property rights to secure the growth of Indian Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and IT-enabled services in the United States market. (Para 3.24)
The Committee further recommends that dedicated initiatives be undertaken to enable MSMEs to participate in India–U.S. digital technology partnerships by improving their access to technology, digital infrastructure, innovation support and international collaboration opportunities. The Committee also recommends that joint capacity-building and advanced digital skill development programmes be encouraged to develop a workforce equipped for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and semiconductor technologies.(Para 9.5)
DDNews: Parliamentary Panel urges early India-US trade pact, calls for stronger safeguards against US tariffs
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has recommended the early conclusion of the proposed India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), while stressing that India’s strategic and commercial interests must remain fully protected. The panel also called for a comprehensive review of bilateral trade relations in view of recent US tariff measures that have affected several export-oriented sectors.
The report highlighted the growing importance of services trade, noting that India’s services exports to the US reached USD 51.2 billion, while bilateral services trade more than doubled from USD 40.53 billion in 2014 to USD 98.52 billion in 2024. The Committee recommended promoting high-value knowledge exports in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital health and engineering research, while leveraging friend-shoring opportunities to integrate Indian manufacturers into US supply chains in electronics, semiconductors and clean energy.
Looking ahead, the Committee identified emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced communications and semiconductors—as key areas for expanding India-US economic cooperation. It recommended deeper collaboration between start-ups, research institutions and technology companies, along with dedicated initiatives to enable MSMEs to participate more effectively in digital technology partnerships and advanced skill development programmes.
TWN: WTO review underscores India’s systemic role amid policy concerns – D Ravi Kanth
Many members of the World Trade Organization on 23 July expressed sharp concerns over the conduct of Indian trade policy on issues such as "predictability and transparency," "abrupt tariff changes," "unexpected export restrictions," "complex licensing requirements," and "lengthy investment approvals," as well as "lack of regulatory certainty", during India’s eighth Trade Policy Review.
According to the chair, “Members welcomed India’s rapid progress in digital economy and trade,” mentioning “the swift rollout of its digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar digital identities, Unified Payments Interface, India Stack, Open Network for Digital Commerce, the Government e-Marketplace, BharatNet, and other digital platforms.”
Members apparently sought further information on how these digital initiatives “contribute to e-commerce development, financial inclusion, digital payments, trade facilitation, public procurement, MSME participation in domestic and international markets, and consumer confidence.”
It appears that several questions “focused on interoperability, governance arrangements, and the extent to which platforms enable participation by external actors in regional and global value chains.”
“India’s digital regulatory framework also drew interest with questions concerning data governance, cross-border data flows, digital regulation and emerging technologies,” the chair pointed out.
In this context, members also “sought clarification on the implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, the treatment of cross-border data transfers, the scope of data localization requirements, sector-specific regulatory measures, and the implications of these policies for businesses, investors and service suppliers.”
RestofWorld: The offline messaging apps challenging internet shutdowns – Ananya Bhattacharya
Governments that deploy internet shutdowns to thwart protesters have struggled to clamp down on offline messaging apps. India’s recent response to Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat suggests that battle is entering a new phase.
Bitchat, launched by the Twitter co-founder in 2025, allows nearby phones to communicate over Bluetooth even when mobile networks or internet access are unavailable. Last month, the app had its biggest real-world test after authorities shut down internet access during student protests in New Delhi.
As protesters turned to Bitchat, the Indian government tried to block access to the app’s source code on GitHub, a Microsoft-owned platform that allows developers to create, store, manage, and share their code. In the past, the Indian government has blocked apps from official app stores due to various reasons, but digital rights advocates say this appears to be the first known attempt to geoblock an open-source software repository.
The episode highlights a growing challenge for governments.
Across the globe, state-enforced internet blackouts have become a primary weapon against protests and independent journalism during political crises. Beyond silencing dissent, these measures serve to block real-time documentation and evade international scrutiny of official misconduct.
Apps built to function without the internet make those tactics less effective.
RestofWorld: With Moonshot’s free Kimi K3, China changes the sovereign AI playbook – Indranil Ghosh
The best artificial intelligence technology any country can own is now available for free.
On July 27, China’s Moonshot AI put its most powerful chatbot on the internet for anyone to use. The Alibabai-backed developer released the software behind its AI model Kimi K3, allowing any government, company, or individual to run it on their own computers without paying Beijing-based Moonshot. Users can also retrain the chatbot to fit their own language and laws.
Nations are spending billions of dollars to run sovereign systems or AI on their own soil so that citizen data stays within their borders and can’t be accessed by foreign companies or governments. Most countries own the machines but lease the computing power and software from U.S. companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, which count on the rent continuing for years. Kimi K3 offers those governments a way out.
India/ChinaBusiness: “Experts” wrong again: Global tech companies renting China’s excess data centers – Kevin Walmsley
Investors, tech companies, and most governments have thought that the AI war will be won with the fastest chips, or the most powerful large language models. We pointed out several times, previously, that the demand for electricity was one key bottleneck that nobody was paying attention to, until very recently.
But there is another. The United States and Europe, and most of Asia as well, have hit a wall in data center capacity. There is no commercial real estate available today to stack the big, expensive server racks that Nvidia builds.
AI requires massive facilities that are highly specialized. And the US is out of space. Meanwhile, China has already completed the largest state-sponsored tech infrastructure buildout in history, and has a huge surplus of data center capacity, and also happens to have the world’s cheapest electricity, and the world’s most cost-effective large language models. As a result, tech companies across the world are simply renting China’s excess compute.
AFRICA
EcofinAgency: Kenya Drafts Digital Services Export Strategy to Boost Tech Exports – Charlene N’dimon
Kenya is developing a national strategy to expand digital services exports with support from the World Bank under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP). The initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to create skilled jobs, attract more foreign revenue, and strengthen the country’s position in the global digital economy.
The government is also considering the launch of a “Digital Kenya” brand and a national e-commerce platform to raise the international profile of Kenyan digital products and services. Once adopted, the strategy will serve as a roadmap for closer collaboration between the government, the private sector, and development partners. The goal is to accelerate digital services exports and establish Kenya as a regional and global hub for digital trade.
EUROPE
Politico: Trump keeps escalating his trade threats. This time, Europe isn’t biting – Stefanie Bolzen and Camille Gijs
Washington is again ratcheting up the pressure on the European Union with new tariff threats. Brussels’ response is strikingly different from a year ago: Don’t retaliate, don’t put on a show for Donald Trump, and don’t let him dictate the timetable.
Trump’s recent threat to “immediately initiate” a trade investigation over the European Commission’s $1 billion fine against Google came on top of new tariffs on the EU and dozens of other trading partners, and continuing pressure from Washington over drug pricing.
But rather than sounding alarms and scrambling to respond to this new phase of Trump’s global trade war, the EU has shown public restraint — a reaction that suggests that the 27-member bloc has become less susceptible to Trump’s pressure tactics.
TechPolicyPress: The High Stakes Behind the EU’s €890M Google DMA Fine – Megan Kirkwood
The European Commission fined Google a total of 890 million euros after finding the company violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by favoring its own services in Google Search and restricting app developers’ ability to steer users to alternative purchasing options from their apps distributed through the Play Store.
The decision also arrives amid growing tensions between Brussels and Washington over EU regulation of US technology companies. The US administration has opposed enforcement of the DMA, with Bloomberg reporting that Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said the law accounts for “90% of the problems” between the United States and the EU in trade negotiations.
Earlier reports suggested the Commission had delayed the decision amid concerns about a possible reaction from President Donald Trump. EU officials have denied that the timing was linked to trade tensions. A senior EU official told The Guardian “that they had no knowledge of how Trump was likely to react, insisting that it had the ‘sovereign right’ to regulate US tech companies in its own jurisdiction and the timing of the fine was not connected to tariffs.”
TechPolicyPress: Europe’s Summer of Digital Services Act Enforcement Targets Platform Design
Last month may come to be seen as a turning point for the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Over the course of July, the European Commission paired major policy initiatives with a series of consequential enforcement actions involving some of the world’s largest technology companies. Even seasoned DSA experts have been struck by the pace and scope of these developments.
Through enforcement decisions, the Commission began to clarify the DSA’s broad legal obligations. These actions will test Brussels’ ability to shape whether and how these companies redesign their products to better protect safety, information integrity, and user wellbeing amid a fraught transatlantic landscape.
NORTH AMERICA
Politico: Trump administration bans foreign-made robots and power gear amid fears of Chinese influence – John Hendel
The Trump administration Tuesday halted imports of advanced robots and a type of power equipment frequently used in solar energy projects, in the latest outgrowth of White House alarm about security threats from China.
The restrictions, announced by the Federal Communications Commission, follow recent steps to limit imports of foreign-made drones and wireless routers. Tuesday’s move would sweep in mobile robots, such as humanoids or quadrupeds, as well as power inverters that are often deployed to connect solar energy to the electric grid.
TNW: US lawmakers press Trump to open trade probe into EU tech rules – Ana-Maria Stanciuc
A group of US lawmakers has urged President Donald Trump to open a formal trade investigation into the European Union’s two flagship technology laws, arguing that enforcement has fallen unfairly on American companies and warrants retaliation under US trade powers.
The push, set out in a letter reported on Tuesday, points to a possible Section 301 inquiry, the same mechanism Washington has used to justify tariff threats against trading partners.
At the centre of the complaint sit the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, the pair of laws Brussels uses to police competition and content on the largest online platforms.
The lawmakers contend that the rules disproportionately hit US firms including Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon, a characterisation the European Commission has consistently rejected. The letter lands after more than a year of transatlantic friction over the bloc’s digital rulebook.
CRS: Canada’s Online Streaming Act: Background and Issues for Congress
In April 2023, Canada enacted the Online Streaming Act, amending Canada’s Broadcasting Act to allow the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate entities that broadcast video or music through social media (e.g., Meta’s Facebook) or online streaming services (e.g., Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube). The CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector.
Some Members of Congress have asserted that the Online Streaming Act imposes costs largely on U.S.-based companies while exempting Canadian competitors. Canadian officials maintain that the act is consistent with Canada’s international trade obligations. Some Members have proposed legislation directing the Trump Administration to investigate the act (H.R. 8025). Congress may also consider the act’s potential effects on U.S. companies and whether the United States should address concerns through changes to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is currently under review.
Congress may consider how the Online Streaming Act might affect U.S. companies’ competitiveness in the Canadian media market. In its oversight of USMCA implementation and the joint review, Congress may consider whether to seek changes to USMCA to address concerns related to the act—for example, modifying Article 32.6. Congress could also contemplate whether the United States should respond with a “measure of equivalent commercial effect” and what such a measure might be.
Some Members have encouraged the Trump Administration to engage with Canada on the act. H.R. 8025 would direct USTR to investigate the Online Streaming Act under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Such an investigation could result in tariffs on Canadian goods. Members who oppose current or potential tariffs on Canadian goods, particularly goods traded under USMCA, could consider whether to issue directions to USTR or consider legislation to prevent such U.S. actions.
Oxfam: Why the United States Should Support International Tax Cooperation: The Case for a U.N. Framework Convention on Tax
The existing global tax system deprives countries, including the United States, of vital revenue that could be used to deliver on urgent priorities and lower inequality. The world loses an estimated $286 billion annually through corporate tax abuse, with the U.S. alone losing around $96 billion, or about one-third of this total. Although the U.S. stands to benefit from global tax reforms, the Trump administration has undermined international efforts. Countries are currently negotiating a new Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, which is an opportunity to address tax abuse and create a fairer tax system. Support for these negotiations will help ensure the interests of the ultra-wealthy are not put before those of ordinary people.
RestofWorld: Why Silicon Valley is divided over China’s powerful, cheap AI models – Viola Zhou
The surge of powerful Chinese open-weight AI models has sparked a feud in Silicon Valley and Washington over whether they are threats to U.S. national security or essential parts of the expanding AI economy.
Entrepreneurs and politicians are taking sides — arguing for either unfettered access or a strict crackdown — by forming alliances, issuing open letters, and launching social media volleys.
While the leading American AI companies have kept their best models closed-source, Chinese AI labs have been releasing open-weight models as a way to attract global customers. These open models are becoming increasingly powerful.
While the adoption of Chinese models is on the rise in the U.S., politicians and companies have also sounded alarms. Some accuse Chinese companies of building powerful models with smuggled chips and distillation — using the output of American models to train their own. Others warn of the security risks posed by the powerful, free-to-download models.
Whether to embrace or reject these Chinese models has become a divisive issue in the U.S. tech industry.
LATIN AMERICA
WTO: Brazil initiates dispute regarding additional duties imposed by the United States
Brazil has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding additional US duties on products originating in Brazil as a result of two investigations by the United States under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. Brazil said the additional duties are above the duties otherwise applicable under the US harmonized tariff schedule. The request was circulated to WTO members on 30 July.
Brazil contends the US measures – which consist of an additional ad valorem duty of 25 per cent on all products originating in Brazil (subject to certain exemptions) as a result of a Section 301 investigation and an additional ad valorem duty of 12.5 per cent on products of Brazil (subject to certain exemptions) as a result of another Section 301 investigation focused on allegations related to forced labour – are inconsistent with various provisions of the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and the Dispute Settlement Understanding.
TWN: Brazil initiates dispute over additional duties imposed by US – K Raja
Brazil has initiated a dispute at the World Trade Organization over additional duties imposed by the United States on products originating in Brazil pursuant to two investigations initiated by the US Trade Representative (USTR) under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.
As an initial step, Brazil has requested consultations with the US. The request was circulated to WTO members on 30 July.
If consultations fail to settle the dispute within 60 days, or if during the 60 days, the consulting parties jointly consider that the consultations have failed, the complaining party may request the establishment of a panel.
