March 2, 2020: An investigation by the Sydney Morning Herald reveals that Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), the Hong Kong company that now owns the privatised Australian Alinta energy company, is storing sensitive personal data overseas without adequate privacy protections, despite undertakings given to the Australian government in 2017 that data would be stored in Australia and conform to Australian privacy laws.

February 27, 2020: The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are taking on disproportionate binding commitments in exchange for false promises of benefits from the regional free trade deal known as PACER-Plus according to new analysis released today from the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG).

February 26, 2020: Read AFTINET's new fact sheet Trading away our privacy? How e-commerce rules can entrench big tech monopolies and restrict the regulation of the digital economy.

February 24, 2020: Read AFTINET's submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the proposed Australia-UK free trade agreement.

February 18, 2020: AFTINET's new article on Michael West Media reveals how big tech companies are lobbying negotiators at secret international talks for a plurilateral agreement on e-commerce, and discusses the risks that the negotiations pose to privacy and consumer rights and Australia's ability to regulate the digital economy.

February 12, 2020: Media release: RCEP e-commerce chapter leaked as AFTINET raises concerns about human rights risks

February 10, 2020: British American Tobacco’s submission to the Dutch government in response to its plans to introduce new plain packaging legislation for cigarettes has included a veiled threat of arbitration under international trade law.

February 5, 2019:  AFTINET's handy summary of the latest evidence on global corporations suing governments (ISDS) has been updated here to include the latest cases. 

February 4, 2020: A new analysis of the Indian civil society campaign against the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) by GRAIN and the Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers' Movements shares important learnings for social movements across the region. However, they also warn that efforts to bring India back to the negotiating table could mean that the campaign against the RCEP has not yet been fully won.

February 3, 2020: The UK officially left the EU on 31 January and news reports over the weekend suggest that the UK government plans to begin official trade negotiations with non-EU countries quickly.