E-commerce in 2026: Shady practices, digital complaints, and new rules for selling online

E-commerce continues to grow, but so does scrutiny of how platforms influence consumer decisions. In 2026, Peruvian regulations focused on so-called “dark patterns” and the handling of digital complaints.

The digital experience is also subject to rules

The design of a website or an app can influence what a person buys, which service they sign up for, or whether they end up accepting a term they hadn’t sought out. That design is no longer just a user experience decision when it employs mechanisms that can influence or pressure the consumer.

In 2026, Legislative Decree No. 1729 introduced new rules governing e-commerce. Indecopi also launched a public consultation to develop regulations related to complaint handling and deceptive practices known as “dark patterns.”

A click doesn't always mean a free choice

Among the practices of concern are those that may result in unintended subscriptions, include preselected options, or make it difficult for consumers to decline an additional purchase. The legal issue arises when the interface ceases to inform and begins to manipulate the consumer’s choice.

For companies, this means that compliance must also be reviewed with those who design the digital experience. Marketing, product, technology, and legal teams need to collaborate before launching purchase flows, promotions, or renewal mechanisms.

Complaints should be part of the experience, not a barrier

The regulation also focuses on the channels for filing complaints in e-commerce transactions. A consumer who makes a digital purchase should be able to find accessible mechanisms for raising a complaint without having to go through an unnecessarily complex process.

This requires reviewing not only the Complaints Log but also the entire channel architecture: pre-purchase information, confirmations, terms and conditions, returns, post-purchase support, and evidence of what was communicated.

Good design is also about prevention

A preventive review should follow the process just as a user would: from the advertisement that leads them to the site through payment and post-purchase support. Along that journey, you can identify ambiguous messages, costs that appear too late, options enabled by default, or steps that make it difficult to cancel.

The trend is clear. In e-commerce, regulation no longer focuses solely on the final contract. It also examines how the consumer’s decision-making process unfolds. Integrating legal criteria from the design phase reduces the risk of having to correct the user experience once the product is already on the market.