Legal protection for the contractor through social media in UAE legislation

Abstract

The spread of e-commerce and its associated developments through the Internet have impacted the legal system of traditional contracts, giving rise to what is known as online shopping and the subsequent electronic contracting. One of the primary parties in such contracts is often the online consumer. Despite the advantages brought by this development, consumers continue to face fraud, deception, and manipulation when contracting electronically, especially through misleading advertising, as well as poor quality goods and services and their high prices. This prompted the UAE legislator to address attempts at fraud and deception of the contractor through social media, as outlined in Law No. (15) of 2020 on Consumer Protection and Federal Decree-Law No. (14) of 2023 Concerning Trade Through Modern Technological Means, providing adequate legal protection for electronic consumer contracts, and outlining their frameworks and scope.

The study aims to define and categorize social media, identify the advantages and disadvantages of contracting through it, and outline the various aspects of protecting contractors through social media at different stages. The goal is to develop an effective solution for protecting contractors through social media within UAE legislation.