From the perspective of Translation Studies, localization processes appear to overlook the full range of effects that can be achieved by translations, at the same time as they offer little that is radically different from a dynamic view of translation practices. Here it is argued that discourses on localization nevertheless offer a substantially new view of cross-cultural communication. This is mainly because of the central role of internationalization, which builds on a concept of artificial equivalence in order to centralize decision-making power in a professional interculture, understood as a place created in the overlaps of primary cultures. A brief survey is offered of the ways in which the findings of Translation Studies might help one understand not just the linguistic aspects of localization, but also the power of localization to influence the development of languages and cultures. It is argued that complete localization, of the kind that makes the foreign appear domestic, risks locking cultures into passive consuming positions. Better localization might use the full resources of translation and non-translation in order to allow consumers eventually to become producers.