By Julius Businge
The rapid rise of online shopping is exposing consumers to a new wave of risks, with experts warning that digital marketplaces are increasingly becoming channels for unsafe and counterfeit products.
As the world marked World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, officials from the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission shifted focus to the growing vulnerabilities consumers face when buying goods online, where convenience often comes at the cost of safety.
The shift to digital platforms has transformed how people shop, giving consumers access to millions of products from across the globe. However, this expansion has also made it easier for unsafe goods to reach households without undergoing proper safety checks.
Consumer protection queries
John Mwesige, Manager for Consumer Welfare and Advocacy, said the explosive growth of e-commerce has outpaced traditional consumer protection systems, leaving significant regulatory gaps.
“Digital markets have expanded consumer choice and convenience, but they have also increased exposure to unsafe and counterfeit products,” Mwesige said. “Many of these products enter markets without traditional safety checks.”
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By Julius Businge
The rapid rise of online shopping is exposing consumers to a new wave of risks, with experts warning that digital marketplaces are increasingly becoming channels for unsafe and counterfeit products.
As the world marked World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, officials from the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission shifted focus to the growing vulnerabilities consumers face when buying goods online, where convenience often comes at the cost of safety.
The shift to digital platforms has transformed how people shop, giving consumers access to millions of products from across the globe. However, this expansion has also made it easier for unsafe goods to reach households without undergoing proper safety checks.
Consumer protection queries
John Mwesige, Manager for Consumer Welfare and Advocacy, said the explosive growth of e-commerce has outpaced traditional consumer protection systems, leaving significant regulatory gaps.
“Digital markets have expanded consumer choice and convenience, but they have also increased exposure to unsafe and counterfeit products,” Mwesige said. “Many of these products enter markets without traditional safety checks.”
He explained that online platforms host vast numbers of third-party sellers, many of whom operate across borders, making it difficult for regulators to monitor product safety effectively. In some cases, sellers disappear after transactions, leaving consumers without recourse when products turn out to be defective or harmful.
Consumers, he added, often rely on online descriptions and reviews that can be misleading or manipulated. “Consumers face challenges such as fake reviews, missing safety certifications and lack of clear manufacturer details. This information gap puts them at risk of making unsafe purchasing decisions,” Mwesige said.
Recalls vs. digital age
The rise of e-commerce is also complicating one of the most important consumer protection tools: product recalls.
Nancy Otori, a consumer protection specialist with the Commission, said recalls are designed to remove unsafe products from the market before they cause widespread harm. These can be initiated voluntarily by manufacturers or enforced by regulators.
“Recalls are proactive safety interventions aimed at removing hazardous products before further harm occurs,” Otori said. “They help protect consumers, ensure compliance with regulations and maintain public confidence in the market.”
However, she noted that digital markets present unique challenges. Products are often distributed across multiple countries, and tracking affected items becomes difficult when sellers lack clear identities or supply chains are fragmented.
“Transparency is key. Communication through press statements, social media alerts and public warnings ensures that consumers are informed and can take appropriate action,” she said, emphasizing the need for stronger digital communication strategies to reach affected buyers.
Otori added that effective recall systems depend on traceability, requiring companies to track products from production to sale. Without such systems, unsafe goods can remain in circulation long after risks are identified.
Vigilance calls
Even as regulators work to adapt, experts say consumers must take a more active role in protecting themselves in digital markets.
Steven Kamukama, Director of Consumer Welfare and Advocacy, stressed that the right to safety remains central, regardless of where a product is purchased.
“A consumer has the right to be protected against hazardous goods and services, including having access to proper usage instructions, warnings and quality assurance,” Kamukama said.
He pointed out that consumers are often at a disadvantage compared to producers, particularly in online environments where verifying product quality is more difficult.
Experts are now calling for stronger international cooperation to address cross-border challenges, tighter regulation of online platforms and greater accountability for digital marketplaces that facilitate transactions.
They also urge consumers to be cautious when shopping online by checking product details carefully, verifying sellers and reporting suspicious or unsafe goods.
As digital commerce continues to grow, the message from this year’s World Consumer Rights Day is clear: while technology has made shopping easier, it has also introduced new risks, making consumer awareness and stronger protections more important than ever.
