By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Google Pay has officially
launched in Uzbekistan, with Google Vice President for Government Affairs and
Public Policy for Emerging Markets Doron Avni citing the country’s modernised
data privacy framework as an example of how pragmatic policymaking can accelerate
digital innovation.
Avni announced the launch,
describing it as a milestone that will bring seamless and secure digital
payments to millions of citizens while demonstrating the impact of
forward-looking policymaking in emerging markets.
“Modern policy isn't just
written on paper - it's felt directly in people's pockets,” Avni said.
Earlier this year,
Uzbekistan modernised its data privacy framework, moving away from rigid,
one-size-fits-all data localisation towards a more flexible and balanced
approach to data classification, according to Avni.
He said the changes had
helped deliver tangible innovation, arguing that predictable, globally
interoperable rules can encourage global technology companies to introduce
services more quickly.
“We were delighted to
announce the launch during Secretary Rubio’s historic visit to Uzbekistan for
the C5+1 Ministerial Summit in Samarkand, which underscored the shared
commitment between Uzbekistan and the United States to accelerate digital
modernization,” he said.
Avni added that momentum was
growing across Central Asia in areas including national cybersecurity, cloud
adoption and digital education.
He expressed gratitude to
the Government of Uzbekistan and U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Henick for their
vision and partnership, while acknowledging the Google team involved in
bringing the multi-year initiative to fruition.
“Uzbekistan is proving that
pragmatic policy opens doors,” Avni said, inviting policy and regulatory
colleagues across emerging markets to consider how their countries are
balancing data governance with open innovation.
