Magazine: E-commerce: Dynamic growth, growing risk

By: Trademagazin Date: 2022. 03. 28. 07:05

In the last decade e-commerce’s market share has been growing dynamically in Hungary. From 2019 to 2020 the growth was nearly 35 percent – reports the State Audit Office (ÁSZ).

Everything is different now

In the last 10 years e-commerce underwent revolutionary changes due to the development of technology. New areas, new players and new risks appeared in the market, plus new business models transformed the retailer-customer relationship. Rules and regulations adopted by the European Union seek to create a level playing field for the e-commerce segment, where online shopping is safe and competition is fair. At the same time the new rules also keep out the large masses of low-priced products from the Far East, thanks to the obligation for shoppers to pay taxes based on the place of consumption.

New fields, new actors and new risks are showing up in e-commerce

Two new EU recommendations are being prepared

Currently the European Union is working on two draft legislations, the objective of which is to establish a transparent and safe cyberspace. However, as long as the new rules aren’t adopted by the legislations of member states, the safety of consumers can’t be guaranteed satisfactorily. The report by ÁSZ also calls attention to the importance of strengthening consumer consciousness, so that consumers can make responsible decisions when shopping online, protecting their personal data. //