새로운 유통환경에서의 소비자 보호 방안

The rise of e-commerce centered on online platforms and the growth of the digital economy have fundamentally trans- formed the distribution system in our society. While consumers benefit from many aspects of the digital economy, it is also true that consumer harm is occurring continuously and in increasingly subtle ways. To effectively regulate consumer issues in this evolving distribution landscape, it is essential to fully understand the unique characteristics of digital transactions and to consider practical measures that can genuinely protect consumers. For example, dark patterns and fake reviews are particularly problematic in online environments, and technological developments such as artificial intelligence not only amplify existing consumer issues but also generate entirely new challenges. Ensuring consumer safety has thus become both more difficult and more critical. In response, Korea as well as many other countries, has been developing laws and policies aimed at protecting consumers. Although it is not realistic to preemptively regulate every consumer issue, several guiding principles may be proposed. It is thus advisable to pursue data-driven regulation, prioritize the most urgent risks, deepen technical understanding when addres- sing technology-driven harms, and leverage technology to enhance safety and reduce risk. In addition, institutional design should take into account the entire transactional ecosystem of the digital economy and should be accompanied by international cooperation.