E-commerce in ASEAN countries

A program to maximize benefit of public or users of business via e-commerce has been created by Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), called Electronic Commerce Steering Groups (ECGS) which its main concerns are on data privacy, consumer protection, cyber-security, paperless trading, trade facilitation and spam on business within APEC region.

Some problems with e-commerce are that some of websites have bad design or cluttered which will not convince buyers to buy online. Some may said it is only a marketing problem, or only a perception, but there were also people who said that due to their own experience. Due to that, they never shop online anymore because they don’t know whether their rights are protected or not if they buy online. Therefore, rather than taking risk, they prefer to avoid in complete.

(source: here )

It has to be put in priority that, in order for e-commerce to works well, it is crucial to gain consumers’ trust. Therefore, ECSG is taking initiative by building the trust in e-commerce by helping them from fraudulent and deceptive practices when consume on-line. APEC has implement APEC’s Voluntary Consumer Protection Guidelines and its main purposes basically cover international cooperation, education and awareness, online advertising and marketing and also on consumers dispute.

Other than issue of trust, there has also been problem with data privacy, which the main concern is whether consumer’s personal information is being protected while making a trans-border transaction. Due to this, the ECSG studied the APEC economist’s approach to data privacy in 2002. On 2003, ECSG established their own Data Privacy Subgroup to draft privacy principles and to implement mechanism as to make it applicable and in same time realistic to be implemented. They want to continue information exchange between individual economist on their development, and also to create public awareness by sharing and determining best practices on data privacy protection.

Research has been made to make it works between e-commerce and digital signature law between countries. According to the frameworks that been drafted, all the member stated shall adopt the regulation of the electronic commerce in order to built trust and confidence among consumers and to ease the transformation of the e-commerce within ASEAN. To make this works, the Member State will be needed to
• Make their national laws and policies regarding electronic transaction into a law based on international norms,
• Make it easy for the establishment of mutual recognition for digital signature frameworks,
• Support and facilitate a secure electronic transaction payment and settlement method between region,
• Adopt a means to protect intellectual property rights arising from e-commerce transaction and business. One of means that shall be taken into consideration is to adopt World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) treaties, which are WIPO Copyright Treaty 1996 and also WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty 1996
• Take measures to raise awareness on personal data protection and also consumer privacy
• And also to promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism for online transaction

as conclusion, by these steps that have been agreed by, it would provide some protection to consumer in the e-commerce transactions. Though, to implement these steps would still be a challenge to them and the consumers themselves must have wide knowledge about relevant issues and current development on e-commerce in order for the laws to be enforce upon them efficiently.

(source: here)