Towards a new digital era

This section describes the rise of digital technologies and identifies the technological forces that have helped propel their growth. It examines how digital technologies are changing the economy by giving rise to new markets, goods and services, and discusses some of the concerns that have arisen in parallel regarding privacy, market concentration, the impact on productivity and the digital divide. The section also discusses the methodological and data challenges involved in trying to measure the value of digital transactions and digital trade, and provides estimates culled from international organizations and national authorities, as well as financial reports from a number of well-known firms.