When Transactions Move to the Screen: Legal Awareness and Consumer Protection among Rural Communities in Tabanan Regency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65815/qwkn1g25Keywords:
digital consumers, electronic transactions, legal literacy, rural communities, consumer protectionAbstract
The expansion of electronic commerce has increased rural communities’ access to a wide range of digital products and services. At the same time, online transactions create risks involving fraud, non-conforming goods, personal-data misuse, and limited access to complaint mechanisms. This study aims to examine digital consumers’ legal awareness in rural communities in Tabanan Regency and to evaluate the effectiveness of available legal-protection mechanisms. The research adopts a socio-legal approach using surveys and interviews with consumers, business actors, and relevant local stakeholders. A normative analysis is also conducted to examine consumer rights and business obligations in electronic transactions. The study argues that gaps in digital consumer protection are caused not only by regulatory limitations but also by inadequate digital legal literacy, limited access to reliable information, and consumers’ reluctance to use complaint mechanisms perceived as complicated. Strengthening protection therefore requires contextual legal education, simplified complaint procedures, and greater involvement of local governments and community organizations. Digital legal literacy can serve as a preventive instrument for reducing consumer losses while simultaneously strengthening rural communities’ capacity to participate safely and confidently in the digital economy. The study highlights the importance of connecting formal consumer law with everyday digital practices at the local level.
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