Compliance and control

New e-commerce rules expand govt role in the business

The proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules, 2020, reflect an accelerating trend towards intensified government intervention in India’s burgeoning e-commerce business. The latest proposals appear to be geared towards greater compliance and protecting the interests of a powerful domestic retailer lobby rather than those of consumers. To be sure, some of the rules are overdue, such as limiting the sharing of consumer data without consent, and specifying alternatives for consumers (which retailers already do). The requirement that e-commerce platforms register themselves with the Department of Industry and Internal Trade and appoint a chief compliance officer as a nodal