Information technology-enabled markets enhance retailers’ ability to collect, aggregate, and transfer consumer information. These technological capabilities have raised concerns that this information could be used in ways the consumer would not anticipate or authorize. These concerns have been met with a variety of proposals including approaches placing the onus for protection on consumers, ind...

This note provides an economic approach to consumer privacy and data security based on the extensive economic literature on how information flows, and is used, in the marketplace. We apply that approach to consumer protection in privacy and data security, as a step toward the ultimate goal of facilitating well-grounded cost-benefit analysis of future policy and law enforcement action in this area.

The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 contain comprehensive on-line consumer protection provisions. In addition, the ECT Act offers safeguards and remedies for natural persons transacting with electronic agents. Yet, the dividing line between consumer transactions and automated transactions is spurious. More often than not, a transaction will fall within both the ambit of a...

The current trends in South African cellular Value-Added Services are a melting-pot of consumer dissatisfaction. Only recently have regulations begun ensuring consumer protection. However recent experiences with subscription-based Value-Added Services have shown that the stricter regulations do not protect the consumer in a timely manner. The authors review Value-Added Services and the problems...

Despite the importance of trust in electronic commerce, there is insufficient theory and evidence concerning the determinants of consumer trust about an Internet vendor’s trustworthiness, and the influence of consumer trust on the consumer’s purchasing intention. The purpose of this study is to: i) develop a theoretical framework identifying the antecedents of a consumer’s trust and purchase in...

T his paper discusses complementarities and tensions between competition policies and consumer protection policies. The paper argues that markets will often supply adequate customer protection without the need for extra public intervention. Special areas where intervention might be needed are discussed , including the need to combat deceptive marketing and the need to provide additional market ...

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 42 I. CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS AS TO DIGITAL CONTENT AND TPMS................................................................................................ 44 II. CONSUMER HARMS RESULTING FROM THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE NOTICE OF TPM RESTRICTIONS ..........................................................

Instant Messaging is today’s killer application. Millions of consumer users are exploring the implications of real-time text messaging and finding that it is a perfect supplement to and, in some cases, substitute for voice communications. The enterprise market has only recently begun considering applications to business collaboration, and has found that consumer products are not generally suita...