Restricting e-commerce platforms

Experience of China

In July 2025, a draft Regulation concerning agreements for the provision of services to business users and consumers on platforms, including marketplaces, classifieds, social networks, etc., was put up for discussion.

If a platform changes its terms of service, public consultations must be held. The draft amendments must be published and opinions must be collected within seven days. All opinions must be taken into account, and if they are not accepted, the reasons must be stated. The new rules must then be published seven days before they come into force (in Russia, 15 days' notice of changes is required). As in Russia, China requires all versions of platform rules to be stored for at least three years.

It is prohibited to impose unfavorable conditions on business users:

1) Unreasonable after-sales obligations without the seller's consent – an obligation to refund the buyer without returning the goods (this restriction does not exist in Russia).

2) Compulsion to participate in the platform's advertising campaigns at the seller's expense (a similar restriction exists in Russia).

3) Unreasonable fees:

– Passing on costs to sellers if goods are sold at a price lower than that set by the seller due to a technical failure on the platform.

– Charging sellers for access to their own business data.

– Forcing sellers to purchase additional services, such as requiring a paid subscription under threat of reduced visibility of their goods.

Today, a new trend in e-commerce is developing worldwide - livestream sales - live broadcasts (streams) during which goods and services are sold. Livestream sales are growing by 20–30% annually worldwide.

In July 2025, China proposed regulations¹ for livestream sales for discussion. Streaming rooms are created on platforms through which the broadcast is conducted. The broadcast is conducted by a streamer who advertises the goods or services of sellers. Advertising agencies responsible for planning, setting up, etc. for live broadcasts also connect to the broadcasts. Responsibilities are established for each type of participant.

Streaming rooms are created through the platform, so the platform must verify the identity of the streamer, who is verified at the beginning of the live broadcast and during the broadcast through dynamic verification systems. The platform is required to provide training for streamers and advertising agencies.

The platform must establish a stream room management system: grade stream rooms based on their compliance with legal requirements, as well as the number of subscribers and views, sales volume, transaction amounts, etc. For stream rooms with a large number of visitors and sales volume, additional measures are implemented, such as technical monitoring for violations in real time, increasing the storage period for video recordings of broadcasts, etc.

The platform must prevent streamers from using deepfakes, etc.

Stream room operators are required to:

1) Post information about sellers' goods and services. Information must be provided without imposed checks (captcha), donation requests, etc.

2) Verify streamers (identity, qualifications, status, etc.).

3) Moderate the chat during the stream, removing prohibited content.

Russia’s experience

In July 2025, the Platform Economy Act was adopted, regulating “intermediary platforms” that allow users to place orders, list goods and services, make transactions, conduct payments, etc. The regulation covers relations between platforms (such as marketplaces, classifieds, taxi platforms, courier services, etc.) and their partners (service providers, workers, sellers of goods, and delivery points).

Intermediary platforms, including foreign ones, will be included in a special register. Foreign platforms must also comply with the socalled “landing” law.

Foreign individuals and self-employed persons may be partners of platforms.

Firstly, the new Law establishes the following obligations of platforms in relation to sellers of goods and services:

– Provide the opportunity to include information about the seller, their goods/services, licenses, certificates, etc., including information on compliance of goods with technical regulations and labeling requirements, including in the Honest Mark system, in the product description.

– Verify the information in the product description to ensure that the goods have not been withdrawn from circulation.

– The government will establish a procedure for accessing information systems containing the above information so that the platform can verify it.

– Separate goods and services sold by the platform from those sold by its partners.

Rules have been established to limit platform abuse:

1) The platform does not have the right to force sellers to offer discounts during sales at their own expense. The platform must notify sellers of the introduction of a discount 5 days in advance and obtain written consent from the partner, in which the partner sets the minimum price, the quantity of discounted goods, and the duration of the discount. The platform may introduce discounts without the partner's consent only at its own expense. It is prohibited to punish sellers for refusing to participate in sales, for example, by lowering their rating, changing the position of the product card in search results, etc.

2) The platform has the right to unilaterally amend the agreement with the partner, the pick-up point, but subject to 15 days' notice (similar to the EU). And 45 days in advance if the platform changes the partner's liability measures, increases commissions, reduces the pick-up point's remuneration, or changes the terms of acceptance, storage, delivery, issuance, and return of the seller's goods.

3) The platform can restrict the ability to post product cards and access to the personal account only upon 3 days' notice, or on the day of notification if the personal account has been hacked.

The logistics infrastructure of platforms (warehouses, distribution centers, pick-up points, etc.) must comply with fire safety and sanitary and epidemiological requirements, including food safety requirements. The contract with the pickup point should specify the rules for distributing the risk of damage or accidental loss of goods.

Moreover, the Law introduces regulations governing platform employment – couriers, taxi drivers, and other workers and service providers on platforms under civil law contracts (CLCs). Criteria for working under CLCs have been established:

– Performer provides individual services without being tied to a schedule or having to comply with internal work rules.

– Performer can refuse an order, and the platform can't punish them for it.

– Performer gets paid separately for each order.

– Contractor may not involve third parties in the work/services – only independent performance.

– Platform is not obliged to provide social guarantees, weekly days off, vacations, etc.

Interestingly, the platform is obliged to enable performers to apply for a contract with an insurance provider (medical, pension, etc.) through the platform, as well as to provide preferences to performers who voluntarily join insurance schemes (the government will set the minimum level of such preferences). For example, the platform may fully or partially reimburse performers' insurance costs.

The platform must monitor:

– Working hours for jobs and services involving increased danger or risk to life, health, or property (e.g., limiting taxi drivers' working hours to 12 hours).

– Risks of involving minors in work that minors are not permitted to perform.

– Maximum permissible standards for physical and other types of stress.

– Compliance with legislation on the legal status of foreign nationals.

The platform may use automated decision-making technologies (such as AI algorithms) to form orders, determine remuneration (the order and terms of payment), publish ratings of performers, provide opportunities for additional professional education, provide the performer with tools and materials for the execution of the order (e.g., clothing), verify the contractor's experience and qualifications, and assess the risks associated with the safe performance of work and services.

From the monitoring issue No. 7 (19), July 2025. Download the full issue (PDF) · issue page at the Gaidar Institute