e-commerce

The Australian Government is committed to providing a light-handed regulatory framework to support and encourage the development of electronic commerce. The focus is on facilitating electronic communications in transactions, rather than a direct regulation of e-commerce. 

The Government’s approach to e-commerce is to allow business and consumers to lead in its development, only intervening where necessary to ensure broad public policy objectives like consumer protection and security.

The Digital Economy section of the Copyright Law Branch of AGD has responsibility for:

• The Electronic Transactions Act 1999
• Advice on Australia’s possible accession to UN Convention on Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
• Australia’s Legal Framework on Electronic Commerce 
• Participation in Free Trade Agreement negotiations to develop e-commerce commitments