Five reasons why the tech industry cares about the trade debate

The Washington Post, June 12, 2015

Steven Overly

Edward Snowden’s revelation that the U.S. government had been secretly collecting reams of consumer information made it decidedly more difficult for American tech companies to expand abroad, as countries raised concerns about privacy and security.

But tech leaders are hoping that Congress will soon make that path easier if the House on Friday passes fast-track trade legislation, which would help the Obama administration complete pending international trade deals. Tech companies such as AT&T, IBM, Microsoft and eBay have mobilized behind a so-called trade promotion authority (TPA) bill and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade deal under consideration between the United States and 11 other countries, as both would specifically address intellectual property, data storage and Internet commerce concerns.

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