Consumer rights in the digital economy

The explanation for this tendency is simple – this type of trade is gaining ground because of its advantages: lower prices and time saved. What sells best on the Internet? House appliances and IT products, followed by apparel, products for children and car parts, say the entrepreneurs in this field. 

Online trade has democratised trade, says Florinel Chis, the executive director of the Romanian Association of Online Shops, speaking about the advantages of the system:“Technology allows access to millions of products through a device connected to the Internet. It removes the obstacle of having to move or of not having the products needed close by or even in the nearest town. I can order it online and it is delivered to me at home even if I live in the countryside. From this point of view, technology improves our lives every day. As far as information is concerned, there is a series of private initiatives to cover this area, both for young people, who become familiar with technology in school, and the elderly.”

The advantages are, however, accompanied by a series of vulnerabilities in the online environment. In this context, one of the challenges is ensuring consumer protection. This applies not only to online trade, but digital economy in general.

Irina Chritoiu, the director of the European Consumer Centre in Romania, explains: “From the point of view of consumer protection, this digital economy or digital single market, which the European Commission has been discussing ever since 2015, implies harmonising legislation across the European Union with a minimum of general legislation in all member states. Considering that 69% of Europeans use the Internet to communicate with friends, to watch a film, listen to music and make purchases, then consumer rights in the digital environment should be respected and promoted much more. In the last two years the European Commission has increased consumer protection thanks to some new regulations it has introduced.”

According to the studies conducted by Romanian Transmedia Audit Bureau in 2017, some 3 million people living in the urban area, that is one third of the total urban population, shopped online. They account for more than half of the number of Internet users in Romania’s urban area. Data shows that a quarter of the Internet users shop online, 26% saying that at least once every three months they purchase a product or service online. As for the online consumers’ profile, they are young, aged under 45, they are educated, live in big cities and are private entrepreneurs or people in leadership positions, with revenues above the average. 

Florinel Chis tells us more about the priority measures for the consolidation of online trade: “In order to further develop online trade in Romania, we need more people with Internet access. Then, if I want to place an order online, I need digital infrastructure. Then there is the legal framework that needs to support this growth. At present, we have directives and regulations that are transposed in the national legislation. At the same time, national legislation also includes provisions from before Romania’s EU accession that need to be harmonised. Also, state institutions apply the same rules in different manners, something that also needs to be addressed.”

According to the Romanian Transmedia Audit Bureau, half of the Romanian online shoppers fear their personal data is not safe. In this respect, all institutions and companies processing personal data must adopt the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation by May 25, or risk fines of up to 20 million euros. The EU’s regulation is aimed at securing the rights of natural persons, who, can ask various data operators to modify, update or delete certain information, so as to have control over their personal data.