Consumers can shop around the clock from merchants around the world. Likewise, businesses can reach customers worldwide quickly and at low cost. This new marketplace poses the same risks inherent in any marketplace where false advertising and frauds can take root. At the same time, the new marketplace poses risks unique to the new technology involving, for example, the risk that an accidental mouse click will bind consumers to undesirable contractual terms. As we have seen, the global nature of the marketplace presents special challenges.
Consumers have concerns about the availability of legal protections and redress.
Businesses have concerns about the costs and unpredictability of the regulatory environment. In June 1999, the FTC held a public workshop on these issues. One core principle that emerged from the workshop is that online consumers should receive no less protection than offline consumers. Although there are no easy solutions to the range of legal challenges in the global electronic marketplace, we believe that with all interested groups working together there can be progress toward a shared goal. I would like to offer some suggestions for next steps in this area.