Analyzing the Impact of International E-commerce Regulations and WTO Frameworks on Corporate Governance in Digital Enterprises

Abstract

This research analyzes the intersection of international e-commerce law and corporate governance practices of digital companies,
with a particular focus on the role of WTO legal instruments. The goal of the research is to analyze how international trade rules,
both binding and non-binding, influence governance practices and compliance choices of digital companies whose operations span multiple jurisdictions. The research is motivated by the growing complexity of international digital trade and the limits of traditional legal systems to address regulatory challenges such as data sovereignty, cross-border consumer protection, and accountability of platforms. Using doctrinal legal research methodology along with comparative methods, the study explores international normative texts, regional instruments, and governance practices from selected jurisdictions. The study employs a critical review process with legal instruments and corporate practices to uncover areas of influence and gaps in governance innovation. The findings of the study demonstrate that while WTO frameworks impose normative constraints on corporate behavior, there is increasing regulatory fragmentation, shifting enforcement practices, and asymmetries in governance across developed and developing economies because of the lack of binding global standards. The study makes recommendations for legal harmonization and improved regulatory coordination to enhance governance in digital companies and enable fair participation for digital enterprises in the global digital economy.

Received: 3 April 2025 | Revised: 17 July 2025 | Accepted: 26 September 2025

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing does not apply to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Author Contribution Statement

Kolawole Afuwape: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration.