On 29 Sept. 2021, the Standing Committee of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress passed the “Regulation of Zhejiang Province on E-commerce” (referred to as the “Regulation”, 浙江省电子商务条例), came into effect on 1 Mar. 2022.

“E-commerce”, as mentioned in the Regulation, refers to the business activities of selling goods or providing services through the Internet and other information networks.

Based on the e-commerce practices, the Regulation regulates the operation of e-commerce activities under different circumstances, and sets out the relevant requirements in accordance with the E-commerce Law, the Personal Information Protection Law and other laws and regulations at a higher level.

Pursuant to the Regulation, where an e-commerce operator presents web-pages or provides search results for goods and services to consumers according to their hobbies and consumption habits, it shall also provide consumers with options which are not tailored to their personal characteristics or convenient ways of refusal.

E-commerce business operators shall not make use of technical means such as big data analysis or algorithms to implement unreasonable differential treatment for consumers with the same transaction conditions in terms of transaction price etc.

In addition, business operators shall not engage in unfair competition solely or jointly with others in e-commerce related business activities.