Civil society demands transparency in ASEAN digital economy pact

Civil society groups and digital rights advocates are urging ASEAN to publish the full text of its Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), warning the talks lack transparency. They fear provisions on cross-border data flows, source code protection and limits on data localization could weaken privacy, AI regulation and labor rights.

• DEFA has been negotiated over 14 rounds since September 2023
• Critics demand release of the full text and economic studies
• Concerns center on free data flows and source code protections
• The pact covers 11 ASEAN states and digital ID interoperability