The extent to which privacy frameworks are standardised around the world will be "very, very critical" to driving digital trade, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said at the India Ideas Summit of the US-India Business Council in Washington DC, The Hindu reports. He said that India and the US have “reasonably aligned” values around freedom and expression and a free and open internet, and thus ought to take the lead in establishing privacy frameworks "both for users to have choice and total transparency and for companies to be accountable as well". Pichai added the free flow of information was essential for digital trade, but that better safeguards were also needed around user privacy, which people are "increasingly" and "rightfully" concerned about. https://twitter.com/mshaks01/status/1138892375131009025 Pichai also spoke about... Digital payments in India: Google thought India would be the best market to push the future of digital payments as it was already headed in that direction, Pichai said. Google incubating products in India: The scale of the Indian market allows Google to develop products there before rolling them out globally, he added. Making phones cheaper: Android "literally powers all phones in India" and Google wants to make phones cheaper every year, he said. Google's products played a foundational role in the establishment and growth of local cellphone makers, he further said. What Pompeo said at the summit On Wednesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the USIBC (read his speech here) that the US will push for free flow of data across borders, not just to help American companies,…
