The ASEAN Guidelines on Consumer Protection in E-Commerce (henceforth “Guidelines”) were developed by the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection (ACCP), in consultation with the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on E-Commerce and Digital Economy (ACCED). In formulating the Guidelines, the prevalent context in the ASEAN Member States (AMS) as well as international good practices from different jurisdictions both within and outside of ASEAN were considered. References are further made to relevant strategic documents, sectoral plans or work programmes guiding actions under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2016-2025.

The Guidelines are intended as a soft law instrument that provides orientation for policy- and decision- makers in AMS in advancing the consumer protection agenda within the context of e-commerce and the wider digital economy. In putting forward general principles and practices as options for AMS to consider, the Guidelines are non-binding and do not impose any legal obligation on AMS.

The following sections describe the general background and rationale for the Guidelines, considering their high relevance in light of emerging region-wide trends.