E-commerce norms on global lines: Government

Relevance: 

Synopsis: 

The EU and countries like the US, Australia, Japan and Singapore, have strict e-commerce regulations. The proposed Draft e-commerce rules are aimed at fulfilling the evolving global architecture. 

How are the e-commerce companies governed globally? 

• The European Union: In December 2020, the European Commission proposed a digital regulation package consisting of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. The Acts seek to put curbs on large platforms or “gatekeepers”. 
• The US: There are federal antitrust laws that discourage anti-competitive behaviour by companies. Apart from that, a new bill was proposed to rein in alleged monopolistic behaviour of big tech companies. 

Challenges:   

• India’s Manufacturing capacity is limited: In several cases, goods have to be imported because India does not have the manufacturing capability of such products at low cost. So, pushing made-in-India products will not provide cost effective products to consumers.  
• Inventory model for e-commerce is allowed in other countries, while it is forbidden in India. Flash sales are not banned elsewhere in the world 

Read more: 

• Draft e-commerce rules and their challenges – Explained, pointwise 
• Draft Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 

Source: Times of India