This paper aims to complement the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Consumer Protection in E-Commerce by elaborating on its key principles in the context of online advertising and offering practical guidance on how to apply these principles. For these purposes, the guide provides a number of...

An examination of payments issues is taking place in the context of the review of the OECD’s 1999 guidelines on e-commerce. This report looks at what might need to be amplified or revised to enhance consumer trust and adoption of new and emerging online and mobile payment mechanisms. It...

The COVID-19 crisis has upended the global consumer landscape. Confinement measures have moved consumers further online, changed their demands and exacerbated behavioural biases. Many mainstream consumers are now financially and psychologically vulnerable and the existing vulnerability of, for...

Information technology, especially the electronic network known as the World Wide Web, is changing the way that businesses and consumers interact. This expansive electronic network allows both businesses and consumers to transcend global barriers, gaining access to products and information in...

Peer-to-peer transactions have long played a role in commerce, but today's online platforms enable them on a much greater scale. Early examples include platforms for the sale of goods (e.g. online auction sites). Newer models include the rental of short-term accommodation and transport or...

This report examines information on consumer protection enforcement authorities of OECD member and non-member countries, especially on the ability of these authorities to co-operate across borders. It is based on questionnaire responses from 31 countries, supplemented by additional research. It...

The e-commerce marketplace has evolved dramatically in recent years and consumer trust in such a complex and interactive environment has become crucial. In order to adapt consumer protection to the current environment and reinforce fair business practices, information disclosures, payment...

In recent years, a number of consumer product safety authorities have established product safety pledges with online marketplaces as a new way to better protect consumers from the risk of purchasing unsafe products that may be available on those platforms. Product safety pledges involve online...

Online marketplaces matching third-party sellers with consumers are now key e-commerce channels globally. Despite their popularity and the benefits they bring to consumers, they do present a number of risks, for example when their third-party sellers engage in misleading marketing and fraud, or...