{"id":2814,"date":"2024-05-13T18:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T18:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.thedev.ca\/?p=2814"},"modified":"2026-02-15T18:25:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:25:16","slug":"lco-releases-improving-consumer-protection-in-the-digital-marketplace-final-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/lco-releases-improving-consumer-protection-in-the-digital-marketplace-final-report\/","title":{"rendered":"LCO Releases \u201cImproving Consumer Protection in the Digital Marketplace\u201d Final Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On Monday, May 13<sup>th<\/sup>, the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) released <em><a href=\"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/publications\/improving-consumer-protection-in-the-digital-marketplace-final-report\/\">Improving Consumer Protection in the Digital Marketplace: Final Report<\/a><\/em>, a comprehensive and independent review of Ontario\u2019s <em>Consumer Protection Act, 2023<\/em> (<em>CPA<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The LCO has concluded that significant legislative and regulatory reforms are needed to modernize consumer protection in Ontario\u2019s digital marketplace. The LCO report makes 32 recommendations to amend the <em>CPA<\/em>, propose new regulations, and related reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report is the first comprehensive, independent review of the <em>CPA<\/em> in over 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Key Findings<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ontarians rarely read or understand lengthy and complex online \u201cterms of service\u201d or \u201cclick consent\u201d consumer contracts. Online consumer contracts are often unfair and deceptive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <em>CPA<\/em> does not effectively protect Ontarians from many online consumer risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <em>CPA<\/em> should be updated to address contemporary risks, better protect young and older consumers, and promote effective enforcement of consumer rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Key Recommendations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <em>CPA<\/em> should explicitly prohibit deceptive and unfair online practices, improve online notice and disclosure, and ensure online contracts aren\u2019t exempt from consumer protections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <em>CPA<\/em> should protect youth and older consumers by ensuring a plain-language standard, ensuring a duty accommodate, and establishing an age-appropriate design code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>CPA<\/em> enforcement and access to justice must also be improved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The LCO\u2019s recommendations are consistent with the \u201cnew consumer agenda\u201d adopted in many countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If enacted, LCO reforms would promote stronger provincial consumer protection laws and policies; support Ontario\u2019s businesses; and ensure Ontario\u2019s ability to protect consumers in the digital marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Executive Summary, Final Report, and background information are available on <a href=\"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/projects\/consumer-protection-digital-marketplace\/\">the LCO\u2019s project page<\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, May 13th, the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) released Improving Consumer Protection in the Digital Marketplace: Final Report, a comprehensive and independent review of Ontario\u2019s Consumer Protection Act, 2023 (CPA). The LCO has concluded that significant legislative and regulatory reforms are needed to modernize consumer protection in Ontario\u2019s digital marketplace. The LCO report [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"LCO Releases \u201cImproving Consumer Protection in the Digital Marketplace\u201d Final Report - Law Commission of Ontario","description":"On Monday, May 13 th , the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) released Improving Consumer Protection in the Digital Marketplace: Final Report , a comprehensive and"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-project-updates"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2815,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2814\/revisions\/2815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}