TRACKING CAMEROON’S POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS FOR EFFECTIVE CONSUMER PROTECTION IN A DIGITAL CONVERGENT ENVIRONMENT
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Keywords:
Consumers Protection, Converging Environment, Legislative and Regulatory Instruments, CameroonAbstract
The expansion of digital technologies has dramatically changed the way in which electronic communication services are delivered to and accessed by consumers in Cameroon. Driven by technology innovation, consumers in the convergent environment enjoy greater variety of e services but are also faced with a constant change in the range, type and impact of consumer rights. Since ICTs are recognized as the foundation for economic and social development, regulators in Cameroon must create an enabling environment for the new digital economy. However, this new phenomenon is posing insurmountable challenges to traditional regulatory tools which are no longer effective in the converging environment. This has called for a rethink of traditional approaches, creating opportunities to lift some legacy requirements and to build, as much as possible, more technologically neutral and regulatory and policy frameworks that will prove serviceable in the future. The exigency on efficiency, respect for consumer data and privacy and ensuring quality of service are the key guiding principles for protecting e-consumers. In this article we investigate into the legislative and regulatory frameworks that protect consumers in a digital convergent environment. The reading of books, articles as well as internet search reveal that the evolving nature of technology vis a vis the slow growth of regulatory capacity due to budget shortages and insufficient human resources are amongst hinderances to effective protection. Based on these findings, and from exchanges with some ICTs experts and observation, we were able to reach the conclusion that his new phenomenon is posing insurmountable challenges to traditional regulatory tools which are no longer effective in the converging environment. Consequently, among the recommendations proposed, we hold high the enactment of a legislation with provisions that would provide a holistic protection to consumers in a convergent environment.
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