Fundamental Amendments to E-Commerce Law: A New Era Begins
The long-awaited amendments to the Law on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce (Law) were published in the Official Gazette on 7 July 2022 with Law No. 7416 Amending the Law on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce (Amendment Law).
Especially recently, the balance between the economic size and power of the platforms and the vendors/providers on the platforms has been one of the main agendas of Turkey as much as in the European Union. In fact, the general preamble of the Amendment Law emphasizes that; new issues have arisen as new businesses, business models and product groups emerged in the e-commerce ecosystem due to the developments in information and communication technologies and the pandemic, and thus there is a need for extensive amendments as the current rules do not comply or are unable to keep up with these developments. In light of this, it is clear that the Amendment Law aims not only to make “amendments” but also to “reform” the world of electronic commerce.
So, what are the changes introduced by the Amendment Law? First of all, various new subjects and concepts will enter our lives. Furthermore, comprehensive regulations covering electronic commerce marketplaces, data, unfair commercial practices and licensing have been introduced. These changes will come into effect gradually until 2025. We have compiled below for you the main and essential amendments: