use of ICTs. Promoting Digital Economy We recognize that digital innovations, accelerated by innovative business models and emerging technologies are a driver for socially inclusive economic growth and the creation of employment and wealth. We commit to foster enabling environments by adopting transparent policy and legal frameworks that focus on improving connectivity and accessibility around the world for social and economic benefit, by promoting interoperability through ICT standards. We continue to support ICT policies that preserve the global nature of the Internet, promote the flow of information across borders and allow Internet users to access online information, knowledge and services of their choice. We oppose data localization requirements that are unjustifiable taking into account legitimate public policy objectives. We endeavor to develop policy frameworks that further promote effective privacy and data protection across jurisdictions to meet high standards of privacy and data protection. We also welcome proactive approaches such as “Privacy by Design” which take privacy and protecting personal data into account throughout the engineering process. We recognize that protecting privacy and enhancing cybersecurity help ensure business and consumer trust and promote innovation crucial to our economic growth. We affirm the importance of developing and protecting intellectual property, including trade secrets. We recognize that strong intellectual property regimes foster open markets, competition, innovation and growth. We oppose generally applicable policies that require access to or transfer of source code of mass market software as a condition of market access while recognizing the legitimate interest of governments in assessing the security of these products. We reaffirm that no country should conduct or support ICT-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information, with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors. We welcome the adoption of the Charter for the Digitally Connected World. G7’s concerted Actions We commit to collaborate to maximize the potential of the digitally connected world for economic growth and to address global challenges. We promote digital adoption for improved quality of life, by bridging digital divides, enabling innovative business models and affordable universal and high quality access to ICTs and enhancing digital literacy. We endeavor to strengthen our cooperation to promote security and stability in cyberspace, including through the promotion of cooperation among national computer security incident response teams, capacity building, and awareness raising. We commit to enhance cybersecurity threat information sharing and to cooperate for improvement of cybersecurity of critical infrastructure such as finance, energy, transportation, and telecommunication. We commit to promote collaboration on research and development in security, privacy, and resilience that accelerates prosperity, protects innovations, and enhances security in cyberspace. We encourage more states to join the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and support 2