resulting from leakage, sharing of customers’ data, and enforcement of laws governing data protection. This

paper is an attempt to examine impact of e commerce platform policies, user privacy preferences and

institutional quality with respect to data protection in global trade. Though measures like GDPR and CCPA

that have been put in to curb use of data have been put in to practice, their efficiency differs from one platform

to another as well from one jurisdiction to the other. Lack of uniformity in the corporate data policies,

consumer awareness, and inadequate enforcement of regulatory policies become a hurdle in the process of

maintaining the data protection policy. Thus, this research is to assess the effects of the e- commerce platform

policies, user privacy preferences, and institutional quality on data protection in global trade.

Current data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European

Union, have made doing business internationally more difficult. The primary goals of the GDPR, which went

into effect in 2018, are to safeguard personal information and uphold the rights of individuals in the EU.

Despite how important these rules are for protecting consumers, they present a variety of difficulties for

foreign businesses that must adhere to several legal frameworks and laws. According to (Elisabeth Meddin,

2020), the GDPR may infringe many terms of the General Agreement on commerce in Services (GATS) and

has restrictive impacts on commerce.

But because privacy rules vary from one nation to another, there is a chance that regulations may become

fragmented, particularly when it comes to cross-border data transfers. These regulations, which differ for

known online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and others are supposed to safeguard customer data, privacy

violations and cybercriminals are undermining consumer trust. Therefore, even with regional and international

laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),

there is an issue with the low efficacy of data protection laws. Many users report instances of identity theft and

illegal information exposure, which raises questions about the platforms' policies and their ability to enforce

them (Brown, J., 2021).

The varying degrees of dedication to security rules by e-commerce platforms are among the causes of this

ongoing issue. Although some platforms have strong data protection features built into their systems, others

could take advantage of legal loopholes to restrict user access over their data. Furthermore, user privacy

prevent other parties from accessing their data, others may unintentionally give their login credentials to third

have a role in how successful data protection systems are, institutional quality is a key determinant of system

vary throughout nations. As previously said, such nations have comparatively lax regulatory enforcement,

how platform policies, user preferences, and institutional quality relate to each other and how they affect e-

framework in this study in order to comprehend the dynamic interplay of the factors.

to international trade. Despite predictions from the OECD (2020) that data flows have increased more than 45

times in the past decade, the data contributes significantly more to the global economy's GDP than the sale of

tangible commodities. Despite the remarkable rate of adoption in recent years, only 40% of nations globally

have enacted complete data protection laws, which has led to a fragmentation of legal norms. For the

protection of international data flow, which is essential to trade liberalization, this mismatch necessitates

sensible, coordinated data protection measures (Smith, 2019).

The issue is made worse by the fact that data protection laws are still inconsistent across different jurisdictions.

With its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the European Union (EU) has set the standard, affecting

almost 25% of global businesses by 2020 (Jones & Patel, 2020). However, just 10% of countries in Sub-

Saharan Africa, including the United States, have data protection laws, and many parts of the world still lack

protecting personal information can result in the creation of trade barriers and have negative economic effects

(Adams, 2020). Therefore, while having strong data privacy laws is ideal for facilitating data in international

business, there are drawbacks, such as the need to ensure free and effective cross-border trade.

To determine the relationship between e commerce platform policies and data protection on global trade.

To determine the relationship between user privacy preferences and data protection on global trade.

To determine the relationship between institutional quality and data protection on global trade.

Is there any significant relationship between institutional quality and data protection on global trade?

Data problems have become a major worry for international industry, consumers, and bureaucracy as e-

commerce has expanded dramatically in recent years. Concerns about the cross-border movement of personal

data are raised by the amount of digital transactions that expose consumers to risks like cyber-attacks, identity

theft, and illegal access and sharing of user data. Therefore, the effectiveness of the protective data is

dependent on elements that make up the global trade environment when employing the measures that

governments and enterprises implement to improve cybersecurity (International Trade Council, 2023)

This article focuses on three data protection variables and looks at how e-commerce platform policies, user

In light of these concerns, this conceptual paper suggests a methodology for examining pertinent variables and

how they affect global data protection. Making better policies, raising consumer awareness, and increasing the

effectiveness of legislation all depend on an understanding of these relationships. Given the existing gaps in

the literature, this study adds to discussions on how to improve digital security in international commerce.

Jurcys, Compagnucci, and Fenwick (2024) propose a user-held data model, utilizing personal data clouds to

minimize cross-border data transfers and compliance risk after GDPR's Schrems II ruling. This model

decentralizes storage, enhancing both legal compliance and end- user autonomy (Jurcys et al., 2024). The EU–

Setting a standard for digital trade arrangements with Asia-Pacific partners, the EU-Singapore Digital Trade

& Wu, 2006; Gao, 2024).

According to econometric evidence presented by Shuzhong, Sishi, and Peng (2024), data policy restrictions

have a considerable negative impact on Chinese cross-border e-commerce exports, particularly for high-tech

and distinctive items. These effects are more pronounced in markets where data policy is more dominant (Ma

et al., 2024). According to Wikipedia, data localization—which is frequently motivated by national

sovereignty and surveillance goals—requires that data be held locally before being transferred internationally.

Although it might safeguard privacy, it raises operating expenses and interferes with cloud economics

(Wikipedia, 2025).

Inconsistent encryption standards, an increase in cyberattacks, and sector-specific regulations (such as the

GDPR, China's PIPL, and the U.S. CLOUD Act) pose significant risks and obstacles for multinational

corporations, according to Paganini (2025), who describes the difficulties in complying with cross-border

moratorium on digital service tariffs, reflecting geopolitical leverage and signalling a potential shift toward

in global trade. While technological and policy mechanisms (e.g., CBCMS, personal data clouds) create

pathways to harmonization, sustained progress depends on multilateral alignment, such as through WTO

digital trade negotiations or APEC frameworks.

authorities before goods enter the EU (Cookie-Script, 2025; Wikipedia, 2025). In July 2024, some 80 WTO

members agreed on global e-commerce rules encompassing digital documentation, e-signatures, anti-fraud

protections, spam limits, and personal data safeguards—but this framework still excludes the U.S. and remains

unratified under WTO law (Reuters, 2024). These developments show how platform policies are becoming

integral to global trade compliance. Implication for data protection: Platform-level mandates enforce stricter

data governance, embedding privacy via design in trade infrastructure. Future research should assess how these

Ghana, and the Netherlands (Cetin, 2024), user trust and engagement are greatly impacted by cultural and

in Malaysia), highlighting preferences as a driver of data protection.Implication for global trade: E-commerce

build trust across diverse consumer bases. Future work could explore how regional UX preferences intersect

governance framework for interagency data exchange, Malaysia's 2025 Data Sharing Act enhances standards

and accountability (Securiti, 2025). To illustrate how institutional improvements, reinforce privacy

governance, South Korea's PIPC updated its standards in April 2025 to increase transparency in the processing

of personal information. These revisions clarified consent, data usage, and AI-based judgments (Securiti,

2025). There is empirical evidence linking policy implementation capacity to governance quality, as evaluated

by metrics such as the Worldwide Governance Indicators. According to the World Bank (2025), nations with

This study will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative techniques to

i. Secondary Data Sources by World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) – for institutional

Amazon, Alibaba transparency reports).