The issues raised in this global cybermall include privacy concerns, the legality of contracts, the rights of consumers and international boundaries. With electronic purchases, borders have disappeared and so has consumers' confidence.
Advocacy groups demand stricter laws.
The 15-country European Union has implemented stringent guidelines about the Internet, about two years ahead of Canada. For instance, the EU will block data transfers to countries without codified privacy agreements, it requires commercial e-mails be clearly identified and it gives states control of Internet businesses operating in their territory. E-commerce is a lot like water. The federal government has come a long way since 1999, when it first set out to write guidelines on e-commerce. Since then, laws have been passed in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Yukon.