Legal Protection for the Consumer in E-Commerce According to Saudi Law (A Descriptive, Analytical, and Comparative Study with the Laws of the United States of America)

Abstract

The current research indicates that the legal aspect in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia needs continuous development in line with global developments, specifically in the issue of consumer protection. The Saudi legislation is based on the provisions of Islamic Sharia, which may need more detail and codification in the form of law articles that are suitable for dealing between individuals. One of the important things that the contracts must include is that there is equality of rights between the contracting parties and the provision of consumer protection. There are many prohibited practices according to the provisions of Sharia, but they need clear and strong laws that protect the consumer because he is the weakest party in the contract. This research used the descriptive method to explain the Saudi regulations, analyze them and compare with the United States of America regulations regarding consumer protection in e-commerce. The research aims to develop Saudi regulations and regulations for consumer protection in e-commerce. This research concluded that there is a need to develop Saudi consumer protection laws in e-commerce and increase consumer awareness of the law through several methods in education, advertisements, government contributions, and support the role of community associations that protect the consumer. The research also indicates that there are practices and methods of fraud in e-commerce that need control and penalties which prevent consumer harm. There is also a need to reformulate some regulations in the Saudi e-commerce law, and there is a need for a comprehensive law that protects personal data in all online transactions.