Consumer Protection and E-Commerce

This policy primer by the International Institute for Sustainable Development provides an overview of consumer protection challenges in the digital marketplace, specifically for policy-makers in developing countries. It examines the need to update traditional frameworks to address e-commerce issues and the role of trade agreements in shaping consumer policy.

• Traditional consumer protection frameworks designed for physical markets require significant updates to handle e-commerce challenges, specifically information asymmetry, data privacy, and issues regarding cross-border jurisdiction and enforcement.
• The global business-to-consumer e-commerce market was valued at USD 5.47 trillion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of roughly 19% until 2030.
• Consumer protection provisions are increasingly being integrated into trade agreements, particularly Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and the potential plurilateral e-commerce Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) agreement, as countries modernize laws to build trust in the digital economy.
• Many developing countries do not have modern consumer protection laws for e-commerce. Their priorities for updating frameworks include managing technology-driven business models, solving cross-border transaction problems, and creating effective mechanisms for dispute resolution.

APA

Kaukab,, R. S. (2025). Consumer Protection and E-Commerce. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/consumer-protection-e-commerce

Chicago

Kaukab,, Rashid S. Consumer Protection and E-Commerce. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/consumer-protection-e-commerce.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kaukab, |first1=Rashid S. |title=Consumer Protection and E-Commerce |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=10 July 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/consumer-protection-e-commerce |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kaukab2025consumer, author = {Kaukab,, Rashid S.}, title = {{Consumer Protection and E-Commerce}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/consumer-protection-e-commerce}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }