Hanoi (VNA) – Rapid growth in e-commerce and digital platforms has created new opportunities for consumers but also heightened risks of fraud, data breaches and online transaction disputes, underscoring the need for stronger, more transparent consumer protection mechanisms.

The issue was the focus of a workshop held in Hanoi on August 5 by the National Competition Commission under the Ministry of Industry and Trade to promote implementation of the 2023 Law on Protection of Consumers' Rights.

Part of the Government's plan to implement the Law on Protection of Consumers’ Rights for the 2024-2026 period, the event highlighted key provisions of the law and its guiding documents, while updating participants on decentralised state management, complaint handling, dispute resolution and inter-agency coordination.

A major focus was the law's expanded safeguards for digital transactions. It broadens consumer protection to online commerce, strengthens obligations for businesses operating on digital platforms, enhances protections for consumer information, regulates distance selling, standard contracts and general trading conditions, and reinforces complaint handling, dispute resolution and defective product recalls. The law also expands the role of social organisations in protecting consumers.

The workshop also outlined provisions under Government Decree No. 146/2025/ND-CP, which clarifies the responsibilities of provincial Departments of Industry and Trade. These include receiving and resolving complaints, monitoring compliance, promoting consumer awareness and mediating disputes.

Phan The Thang, deputy head of the Consumer Protection Department at the National Competition Commission, said one of the law's most significant changes is its broader definition of consumer information. Beyond personal data, it now covers transaction-related details such as purchased products, order values, payment methods and delivery schedules.

He cited a common scam in which fraudsters posing as delivery personnel contact buyers with accurate information about pending cash-on-delivery orders, persuading them to pay before discovering the package contains worthless items. Such cases illustrate that not only personal data but also transaction information has been compromised.

Authorities have received numerous complaints of this kind, Thang said, although identifying whether the leak originated from sellers, delivery firms or e-commerce platforms remains difficult. The new law therefore introduces clearer rules on consumer consent for data sharing and the responsibilities of businesses when transferring information to third parties.

The workshop also examined complaint handling and dispute resolution. Dao Thi Hong Lam of the National Competition Commission outlined procedures for receiving, classifying and processing complaints, while highlighting the role of state agencies in facilitating negotiations between consumers and businesses and advising on appropriate dispute resolution methods when negotiations fail.

Vu Hoai An, Deputy Chief of Office of the Vietnam Consumer Protection Association, noted that while digital commerce, cashless payments and online business models have expanded consumer access to goods and services, they have also introduced increasingly complex risks.

In addition to counterfeit goods and traditional fraud, consumers now face online scams, misleading advertising, misuse of social media influencers, personal data breaches, opaque electronic contracts and cross-border transactions where legal liability is difficult to establish.

She said international organisations, including the OECD, UNCTAD and Consumers International, have urged governments to shift consumer protection from post-dispute resolution to risk prevention by strengthening data protection, increasing platform transparency and promoting corporate responsibility. These principles are reflected in Vietnam's 2023 Law on Protection of Consumers' Rights, which aims to modernise the country's legal framework for the digital economy.

Experts at the workshop also shared practical experience in resolving complaints involving e-commerce, consumer services, banking, finance and telecommunications, while proposing measures to improve complaint handling at the local level and ensure consistent implementation of the law nationwide./.