Regulating Digital Marketplaces: A Comparative Socio-Legal Analysis of Consumer Protection in Islamic and Western Legal Traditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30659/ijsunissula.5.2.%25pAbstract
The rapid advancement of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed global commerce, leading to the emergence of digital marketplaces and platform-based economies that facilitate cross-border electronic transactions. While e-commerce platforms have expanded economic opportunities and improved consumer access to goods and services, they have simultaneously generated significant legal and regulatory challenges concerning consumer protection, contractual fairness, data privacy, and dispute resolution. Consumers participating in online transactions frequently encounter risks associated with misleading advertising, unfair contractual terms, cyber fraud, misuse of personal data, and jurisdictional complexities in resolving transnational disputes. In response, legal systems across the world have developed regulatory frameworks aimed at safeguarding consumer rights and ensuring transparency and accountability in digital commerce.
This study examines the regulation of digital marketplaces through a comparative socio-legal analysis of e-commerce governance in Islamic and Western legal systems. Employing a qualitative doctrinal and comparative legal methodology, the research analyzes the legal principles governing electronic commerce, consumer protection standards, and dispute resolution mechanisms within both traditions. The study further explores the ethical foundations of Islamic commercial jurisprudence, including the principles of fairness (adl), transparency, good faith, and mutual consent, and compares them with statutory and institutional consumer protection frameworks developed in Western legal systems. In addition, the research investigates the socio-legal dimensions of digital commerce, particularly the influence of cultural values, institutional structures, technological innovation, and regulatory enforcement on consumer protection practices.
The findings demonstrate that both Islamic and Western legal systems share common objectives in promoting fairness, preventing exploitation, and protecting consumers from deceptive commercial practices, although they differ in their legal methodologies and regulatory approaches. Western legal systems predominantly rely on comprehensive legislation, administrative regulation, and consumer protection agencies, whereas Islamic legal systems integrate ethical-commercial principles with legal norms to regulate market conduct. Despite these methodological differences, both frameworks emphasize transparency, accountability, contractual justice, and the protection of weaker parties in commercial transactions.
The study concludes that effective governance of digital marketplaces requires enhanced legal harmonization and international cooperation to address the cross-border complexities of global e-commerce. Strengthening transparency obligations, improving online dispute resolution mechanisms, ensuring data protection, and promoting responsible platform governance are essential for enhancing consumer confidence in digital markets. The integration of ethical principles derived from diverse legal traditions may further contribute to the development of more inclusive, balanced, and sustainable regulatory frameworks capable of supporting the continued growth of the global digital economy while safeguarding consumer rights and commercial justice.
Keywords: Digital Marketplaces; Consumer Protection; E-Commerce Regulation; Islamic Commercial Law; Comparative Legal AnalysisReferences
Al Azhari, F. U., & Al Azhari, S. I. (2025). Contemporary challenges in harmonizing Sharia, national legal systems, and international law in a rapidly changing world. International Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 1(1), 130–150. https://doi.org/10.65960/ijlss.1.1.2025.4
Al Azhari, F. U., Shah, S. H. M., Al Azhari, S. I., Rasool, F., Ahmed, R., Samad, A., & Rehman, A. (2025). The role of Islamic economic principles in family law: A study on inheritance and property rights within the context of child protection. Global Islamic Research Journal, 1(1), 59–76. https://doi.org/10.65960/girj.1.1.2025.2
Alaloosh, M. S., Shaker, A., & Eliwy, S. H. (2026).
Securing digital trade: A techno-legal analysis of e-commerce safeguards in Iraq's regulation No. 4/2025.
Nusantara Journal of Law Studies, 5(1), 44–60.
Al-Farjani, S. H., Ahmad, T., & Rana, H. A. S. (2025). Digital innovation, legal reform, and social justice: Interdisciplinary approaches to law, technology, and human rights. International Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 1(1), 91–129. https://doi.org/10.65960/ijlss.1.1.2025.5
Anthony, D., & Stanhaus, A. (2026). Disrupting the information order in health care: Institutions, policy regimes, and the value of data. Social Science and Medicine, 395, Article 119023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.119023
Ariawan. (2025). Regulatory barriers to consumer protection in digital marketplaces. Journal of Human Rights Culture and Legal System, 5(3), 806–832. https://doi.org/10.53948/jhcls.v5i3.214
Azam, M., Hamdoun, A. A.-M., Harahsheh, E. A. A. M., Mashdurohatun, A., & Sidauruk, H. P. (2025). Religious diversity in the digital economy: Interfaith legal pathways to harmonize Sharia, Christian ethics, and international law. Contemporary Issues on Interfaith Law and Society, 4(2), 207–264. https://doi.org/10.15294/ciils.v4i2.3301
Azam, M., Mashdurohatun, A., Firmansyah, A. N., Saktiawan, M. D., & Jaya, K. O. P. (2025). Harmonizing Contemporary International Commercial Law with Sharia-Based National Legal Systems: A Comparative Study of Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 4(2), 1074–1096. Scopus Q1. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v4i2.11334
Azhari, A. M., Azhari, S., & Yaqooq, M. I. (2025). Global transformations in law, justice, and society: Comparative perspectives on governance, rights, and legal reform. International Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 1(1), 60–90. https://doi.org/10.65960/ijlss.1.1.2025.7
Bagheri, P., & Althabhawi, N. M. (2022).
Islamic and European perspectives on data privacy in online contracts.
European Data Protection Law Review, 8(3), 377–385.
https://doi.org/10.21552/edpl/2022/3/9
Boyack, A. J. (2025).
Abuse of contract: Boilerplate erasure of consumer counterparty rights.
Iowa Law Review, 110(2), 497–570.
Cherednychenko, O. O. (2024). On the bumpy road to responsible lending in the digital marketplace: The new EU Consumer Credit Directive. Journal of Consumer Policy, 47(2), 241–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-024-09564-5
de Oliveira, C. G. B., Albuquerque, O. D. P., Belotti, E. L., Silva, R. B. D. A., & Arbix, G. (2026).
An analysis of facial recognition in banking disputes through data scraping from São Paulo court of appeal decisions.
Applied Soft Computing, 189, 114500.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2024.114500
Durovic, M., & Poon, J. (2023). Consumer vulnerability, digital fairness, and the European rules on unfair contract terms: What can be learnt from the case law against TikTok and Meta? Journal of Consumer Policy, 46(4), 419–443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-023-09549-w
Faisala, M. S., Karim, A., Ahmad, M., Anwer, M., Adnan, M., Hassan, M., Ahmad, K., Sohaib, H., Aziz, Q., & Liaqat, M. (2025). The Prophetic Sunnah and the challenges of the age: Confronting technology and its effects on social and psychological security. Global Islamic Research Journal, 1(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.65960/girj.1.1.2025.5
Giampieri, P. (2021).
An analysis of the right of termination, cancellation, and withdrawal in off-premises and distance contracts.
Comparative Legilinguistics, 47(1), 105–133.
https://doi.org/10.14746/cl.2021.47.5
Hasanah, L. N., Faisal, M. S., Ahmed, Z., & Hasyim, M. Y. A. (2025). Religious diversity and the digital economy: Legal–academic pathways to harmonize Sharia and international law. International Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65960/ijlss.1.1.2025.8
Khan, L. M., Levine, S. A. A., & Nguyen, S. T. (2025).
After notice and choice: Reinvigorating “unfairness” to rein in data abuses.
Stanford Law Review, 77(6), 1375–1461.
Le, N. (2026). Sustainable consumer data protection in Vietnam’s e-commerce: Bridging legal gaps through global insights. Prawo I Wiez, 60(1), 557–576. https://doi.org/10.36128/priw.vi60.812
Lyons, B., & Sugden, R. (2025).
Transactional fairness in consumer markets.
Behavioural Public Policy, 9(4), 826–848.
https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2023.6
Mak, V. (2024).
Redefining equality in European contract law: Protecting consumer interests in a post-consumer society.
European Law Open, 3(3), 561–586.
https://doi.org/10.1017/elo.2024.20
Marino, G. (2025).
The consumer’s right of withdrawal at the sustainability crossroads: An ecological analysis of European consumer law.
European Review of Contract Law, 21(4), 479–500.
https://doi.org/10.1515/ercl-2025-0020
Möllers, T. M. J., & Glas, J. (2025).
Paying for returns in distance contracts: Rethinking consumer protection law.
European Review of Private Law, 33(5–6), 1005–1038.
Möslein, F. (2023).
Digitized terms: The regulation of standard contract terms in the digital age.
European Review of Contract Law, 19(4), 300–320.
https://doi.org/10.1515/ercl-2023-0020
Mujiono, & Ticualu, C. (2025). Emerging trends in law and social sciences: Global perspectives on policy, ethics, justice, and institutional reform. International Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 1(1), 40–60. https://doi.org/10.65960/ijlss.1.1.2025.6
Mujiono, Ticualu, C., Mawardi, K., Riyadi, S., & Zuhri, B. (2025). Islamic law and campus governance against drug abuse: Preventive strategies and restorative rehabilitation in Indonesian universities. Global Islamic Research Journal, 1(1), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.65960/girj.1.1.2025.4
Mustafa, A., Ishaque, M., Raza, R., Samiullah, & Raza, M. I. (2025). When culture meets Fiqh: Examining the legal authority of ʿUrf in contemporary engagement traditions. Global Islamic Research Journal, 1(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.65960/girj.1.1.2025.6
Pałka, P., Pałosz, R., Porębski, A., & Wiśniewska, K. (2024).
A dataset on the contents of 100 terms of service of online platforms, analyzed under EU consumer law.
Data in Brief, 53, 110136.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.110136
Sauter, W. (2024).
Responsive competition law.
European Law Open, 3(4), 768–793.
https://doi.org/10.1017/elo.2024.35
Septiningsih, I., & Karimullah, S. S. (2024).
Consumer protection in the digital era: An analysis of consumer protection in e-commerce.
Nusantara Journal of Law Studies, 3(2), 68–80.
Sudirman, L., Sohheng, N., Agustianto, Agustini, S., & Nurlaily. (2025). Legal protections against unfair competition in e-commerce: Analysis of Indonesian and Thailand framework adequacy. Jurnal Hukum Novelty, 16(1), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.26555/novelty.v16i1.a28510
Tang, Y., Li, Y., & Wang, L. (2026).
The relative market power of digital platforms and consumer privacy.
Modern Economic Science, 48(1), 75–89.
Turner, S., & Tanczer, L. M. (2024).
In principle vs in practice: User, expert and policymaker attitudes towards the right to data portability in the internet of things.
Computer Law & Security Review, 52, 105912.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The copyright of the received article shall be assigned to the journal as the publisher of the journal. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to the published articles.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
