Twenty-nine countries adopted guidelines for consumer protection online yesterday.
The Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development, an intergovernmental forum of 29 nations including the United States, said the basis for the guidelines is that that consumers online should have the same protections as they do offline. The guidelines call for:
* fair business, advertising and marketing practices;
* enough information to allow consumers to make informed choices;
* clear processes for confirming transactions;
* secure payment mechanisms;
* timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress processes;
* privacy protection;
* consumer and business education; and
* international government cooperation.
OECD said the guidelines are not legally binding, but are to be used as a blueprint for governments and industry self-regulation.
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