Consumer Protection in the Face of the Challenges of Digital Transformation in Commercial Companies

Abstract

This study examines digital transformation and its impact on the activities of commercial companies, as well as the legal challenges related to consumer protection, following the shift of commercial transactions from the traditional environment to an electronic one. This shift has led to the development of new methods of marketing, contracting, and electronic payment.
This transformation has also resulted in the emergence of new forms of deception and fraud, particularly misleading digital advertising, unfair terms in electronic contracts, and violations of consumer data privacy. Despite the economic advantages and facilitation of commercial transactions offered by digital transformation, it has created new legal challenges that affect consumer rights, especially in the absence of a legal framework compatible with electronic commerce.
The study further emphasizes that reliance by the judiciary and regulatory authorities on general legal provisions represents a partial and temporary solution that fails to provide adequate protection for consumers in the digital environment. The research concludes by stressing the necessity of developing a comprehensive legislative framework to regulate digital contractual relationships, strengthen oversight of unlawful digital commercial practices, and ensure effective protection of consumers’ personal data, thereby achieving contractual balance.