Asia: Consumer Protection

Understanding how long unpaid debts remain on Australian credit reports is crucial for managing financial reputation and planning recovery from financial difficulty. This comprehensive guide examines retention periods for defaults, court judgments, bankruptcy information, and other credit listings, while explaining the regulatory framework that governs credit reporting in Australia.

When a borrower defaults on a loan, does the lender have an immediate right to repossess property or force a sale? This article examines the negotiation options available to borrowers after loan default, the statutory protections under the National Credit Code, and the enforcement rights and obligations of lenders under Queensland's Property Law Act 2023.

The Reserve Bank of India has issued comprehensive Master Directions for Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platforms, introducing significant changes to capital requirements, operational obligations, and participant eligibility. These new regulations mandate a minimum net worth of INR 25 crore for platform operators, formalize the role of credit guarantee funds, and establish that all factoring units must be strictly "without recourse" to MSME sellers, fundamentally reshaping the framework for tr

APRA and ASIC have released their 2026–27 Corporate Plans, signalling more intensive supervision and enforcement, alongside targeted measures intended to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden. Their priorities span operational resilience, cyber security, artificial intelligence, consumer protection, insurance, superannuation, market integrity and digital assets. For regulated entities, the plans provide a practical roadmap of the areas most likely to attract supervisory attention, information requests and, where deficiencies are identified, enforcement action.

In the same statewide drive, two of Mumbai’s best known eateries, a 122 year old Irani cafe near Marine Lines and a well-known upmarket Chinese restaurant, have had their food licenses suspended. Both cases pose the same legal questions about the speed of a regulator’s action, what it must prove and when a suspension must end.

In mid-September 2026, government sources said Meta Platforms’ Indian operations, Facebook, Instagram and Threads, should no longer be viewed merely as an “internet intermediary” but should also be treated as a “service provider,” arguing that the company’s monetised algorithms actively decide what content gets amplified, distributed and shown to whom. That is a government position, not a new statutory classification, and this article returns to that distinction below.

江蘇省で2026年に実施された侵害・模倣品の一斉廃棄活動では、マスク、衣料品、自動車部品など15大分類、約70トンの侵害・模倣品が環境に配慮し

China's Supreme People's Court has issued comprehensive judicial rules addressing artificial intelligence disputes, establishing frameworks for product liability, intellectual property rights, and data protection. These landmark opinions provide critical guidance for global companies navigating AI-related legal risks in China's evolving regulatory landscape.

When a new product appears on the shelf dressed to resemble an established brand, it can cause two different kinds of harm, and Indian law addresses them through two different bodies of rule. The first harm is to the brand owner and to consumers who are misled as to source — the domain of trade mark law and the tort of passing off. The second is to consumers’ broader interests in accurate information and safe food — the domain of food-safety and consumer-protection regulation. A single lookalike can implicate both at once, which is why these disputes often sit at the intersection of the two regimes.

Pesky, promotional and unsolicited commercial communications can be intrusive and disruptive for consumers, particularly when received without their consent. They can result in consumers being constantly exposed to unwanted commercial messages, making it harder to distinguish important communications from promotional content. In some cases, such communications may also encourage unwanted purchases or expose consumers to potential fraud and other risks. In view thereof, Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has proposed a draft of the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Pesky, Promotional and Unsolicited Commercial Communications, 2026 (Draft Guidelines).

On 9 September 2026, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (2026 Amendment), amending the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (E-Commerce Rules).

The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, with the objective of strengthening consumer protection while facilitating a transparent and balanced regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector.