The New Rules of Secure Online Shopping

With the rapid growth of digitalization, online shopping has become an indispensable part of daily life. However, along with the increasing order volume, counterfeit products, quality issues, and security vulnerabilities have also become major concerns for users. This situation has driven e-commerce platforms to impose stricter inspections and robust product safety policies. Today, consumers query not only the affordable price but also the reliability, authenticity, and originality of the product. You can continue reading to take a closer look at the new product safety era starting in online shopping and the current practices in this field.

Digital Inspection Begins in Product Safety

Prepared by the Ministry of Trade and published in the Official Gazette on October 30, 2024, the "Regulation on Market Surveillance and Inspection of Products Offered on the Market Through Remote Communication Means" comes into force as of April 1, 2025. The regulation aims to provide consumers shopping online with a more transparent and secure shopping experience. Particularly covering sales channels such as mobile applications, virtual marketplaces, television, and radio, this regulation makes the inspection of products in the digital environment more effective. This development signifies a structural change that directly affects both consumer rights and market order.

By bringing unregulated areas of digital commerce under control, the regulation will facilitate consumer access to safe and compliant products. Preventing consumers from encountering misleading advertisements and providing transparent information regarding product content will increase e-commerce security. Certain loopholes that have caused consumer grievances until now will be resolved with this new regulation. Thus, shopping in the digital environment will attain a level of security similar to physical store shopping.

With the new regulation, not only consumers but also sellers will assume responsibility. Every product placed on the market will now be subjected to stricter criteria. The process from the supply chain to the end-user will be restructured based on transparency and traceability. Thus, Turkey will position itself among countries prioritizing product safety in digital markets.

New Obligations of Sellers: Duty to Inform

Under the regulation, sellers are required to present information regarding their products in a clear, understandable, and accessible manner. Each listing must include manufacturer or importer company details, contact address, and technical details regarding product safety. This will allow buyers to reach sufficient information before purchasing the product, enabling them to make more informed decisions. This information is of vital importance, especially in electronic or chemical products carrying technical specifications.

Users will now be able to digital examine all necessary markings and documents before seeing the product physically. Details such as CE certificates, instructions for use, and warning signs must be made accessible alongside the product. In this way, the lack of trust and perception of risk experienced by users will be reduced. Digital storefronts will now become informative platforms rather than just visual ones. This regulation will also play a critical role in preventing misleading advertisements. Malicious sellers will be prevented from misleading consumers by presenting incomplete or incorrect information. Transparency will contribute positively to e-commerce volume by increasing consumer trust in the long run. The distinction between compliant and non-compliant sellers will become clearer.

For sellers, the obligation to inform will not be limited to protecting the buyer but will also create legal liability. Administrative sanctions may be applied to sellers who present incomplete information in cases where product safety violations are detected. This will also be effective in preventing unregistered and uncontrolled sales.

New Responsibilities for Marketplaces and Platforms

The new regulation makes not only individual sellers but also virtual marketplaces responsible. Now, platforms like Trendyol, Hepsiburada, and N11 will be obliged to keep product safety information in their systems and inspect incomplete or non-compliant listings. This responsibility covers pre-sale content inspection, not just the moment of sale. Within this scope, marketplaces will have to establish active control mechanisms.

When non-compliant products are detected, the relevant listings must be removed from the system within 24 hours. Prompt intervention will minimize the probability of consumers encountering risky products. Additionally, marketplaces are expected to facilitate public participation in the process by creating contact points open to complaints and notifications. This will create a participatory structure that increases the auditability of e-commerce.

Platforms will now assume a regulatory and supervisory role, not just the role of an intermediary. This will increase the safety standards in online shopping as well as the brand responsibility of marketplaces. Citizens will be able to obtain faster solutions thanks to these systems where they can directly convey their complaints.

Sanctions may also be applied to platforms that fail to cooperate during the inspection process. Platforms that do not fulfill their inspection obligations or turn a blind eye to violations may face administrative fines as well as access restrictions. This will encourage marketplaces to invest more in content control.

Local Representative Requirement for International Sales

Another notable arrangement in the regulation concerns companies selling to Turkey from abroad. From now on, foreign companies wishing to send specific products to Turkey must appoint a local representative in Turkey. Companies that do not appoint a representative will lose their right to send products to Turkey. This step aims to block risky products originating from abroad.

The Ministry of Trade will establish a direct inspection mechanism through local representatives to inspect the compliance of products sent to Turkey. This will facilitate product tracking and clarify responsibility. Now, not only the manufacturer but also the representative in Turkey will be under legal liability. In this way, the protection of consumer rights will sit on a stronger foundation.

It is particularly aimed to prevent the influx of counterfeit, fake, or uncertified products from abroad. It will become harder for low-quality or uncontrolled products that risk consumer health to enter the market. This regulation will also protect domestic producers against unfair competition.

Making local representation mandatory in practice will require companies engaged in e-export to reorganize their compliance processes as well. The fact that all global brands wishing to sell to Turkey will now carry legal responsibility on a legal basis is a critical development for trade order as much as consumer safety.

Consumer Rights Grow Even Stronger

With the new regulation, the channels for consumers to exercise their rights are also expanding. Citizens will now easily be able to convey their complaints, notifications, and information requests regarding products through contact points to be established by marketplaces. The system will make the consumer’s voice more visible by ensuring that issues are resolved faster. At the same time, it will contribute to running the state's oversight mechanism more effectively.

Processing complaints within a certain period will increase consumer satisfaction and make the process more transparent. Users will now purchase by considering not only the product's price but also its safety standard and the seller’s service quality. This will encourage quality competition in the e-commerce environment.

With the "strong product safety era," not only users experiencing issues but also users wishing to express their satisfaction will be able to provide feedback. The practice will provide crucial data for improving the system. Feedback culture will positively affect both consumer awareness and seller quality.

Coming into force as of April 1, 2025, the regulation establishes a holistic structure that prioritizes product safety, increases transparency, and empowers consumers. In a period when digital shopping is spreading rapidly, this step prioritizing consumer rights stands out as an important milestone rebuilding trust in the Turkish e-commerce market.