Business Law Library & Tracker
Digital & Ecommerce
Electronic contracts, ecommerce terms, online customer journeys, electronic notices and digital compliance touchpoints.
Sources last reviewed 8 June 2026
Main law guides
307
Acts, regulations and codes worth reading first
Topics
22
Plain-English clusters
Published case explainers
496
Selected cases with a business lesson
Tracked updates
110
New, amended & reviewed
Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Check the linked official source before you rely on a specific section, and get advice for your situation.
Get legal helpMain laws
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth)
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth)
Commercial Passenger (Road) Transport Act 1991 (NT)
Commercial Passenger (Road) Transport Act 1991 (NT)
Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (Vic)
Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (Vic)
Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth)
Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth)
Electronic Communications Act 2000 (SA), formerly Electronic Transactions Act 2000
Electronic Communications Act 2000 (SA), formerly Electronic Transactions Act 2000
Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000 (NT)
Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000 (NT)
Electronic Transactions (Queensland) Act 2001 (Qld)
Electronic Transactions (Queensland) Act 2001 (Qld)
Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000 (Vic)
Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000 (Vic)
Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (NSW)
Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (NSW)
Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (Tas)
Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (Tas)
Electronic Transactions Act 2001 (ACT)
Electronic Transactions Act 2001 (ACT)
Electronic Transactions Act 2011 (WA)
Electronic Transactions Act 2011 (WA)
Passenger Transport Act 1994 (SA)
Passenger Transport Act 1994 (SA)
Passenger Transport Services Act 2011 (Tas)
Passenger Transport Services Act 2011 (Tas)
Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Act 2016 (NSW)
Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Act 2016 (NSW)
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001 (ACT)
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001 (ACT)
Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 (WA)
Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 (WA)
Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994 (Qld)
Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994 (Qld)
Charitable Collections Act 1946 (WA)
Charitable Collections Act 1946 (WA)
Charitable Collections Act 2003 (ACT)
Charitable Collections Act 2003 (ACT)
Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)
Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)
Collections Act 1966 (Qld)
Collections Act 1966 (Qld)
Collections for Charitable Purposes Act 1939 (SA)
Collections for Charitable Purposes Act 1939 (SA)
Collections for Charities Act 2001 (Tas)
Collections for Charities Act 2001 (Tas)
Fundraising Act 1998 (Vic)
Fundraising Act 1998 (Vic)
Gaming Control Act 1993 (NT)
Gaming Control Act 1993 (NT)
Copyright Regulations 2017
Copyright Regulations 2017 (Cth)
Personal Information Protection Act 2004 (Tas)
Personal Information Protection Act 2004 (Tas)
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA)
Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA)
Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (Cth)
Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (Cth)
Circuit Layouts Act 1989
Circuit Layouts Act 1989 (Cth)
Tracker
- New8 June 2026
Fundraising and charitable collections laws added
The legislation library now covers state and territory fundraising, charitable collections and community fundraising pathways across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives charities, social enterprises, clubs, ecommerce brands, event organisers, sponsors and businesses running charity-linked campaigns a clearer place to understand when public donation requests, use of charity names, paid fundraisers, records, receipts, collection licences, approvals, raffles, lotteries and regulator reporting need to be checked before launch.
Not-for-Profits & CharitiesConsumer Law & TradingDigital & EcommerceContracts & CommercialBusiness Registration & OperationsFranchising & Regulated Industries - New8 June 2026
Passenger transport and booking service laws added
The legislation library now covers passenger transport, point-to-point, taxi, hire vehicle, rideshare, shuttle, booking-service and road passenger service regimes across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives operators, booking platforms, tour providers, airport transfer businesses, community transport providers and businesses hiring transport a clearer place to understand authorisations, driver checks, vehicle standards, safety duties, fares, complaints, incidents and regulator pathways.
Franchising & Regulated IndustriesConsumer Law & TradingContracts & CommercialEmployment & WorkplaceBusiness Registration & OperationsDigital & Ecommerce - Case8 June 2026
Current dispute, insolvency and platform cases added
This batch adds official-source explainers for live Federal Court and Full Court decisions involving subcontract disputes, winding-up review steps, freezing orders, enterprise agreement approval challenges, voluntary administration trading, product marketing claims and regulated digital platforms. The business theme is control: keep records current, keep public claims matched to evidence, and get legal help before a dispute or regulator process becomes procedural damage control.
Contracts & CommercialCompanies & StartupsInsolvency & RestructuringEmployment & WorkplaceConsumer Law & TradingDigital & Ecommerce - Case7 June 2026
Current pricing, credit and deal cases added
This batch adds current official-source case explainers for pricing promotions, consumer credit, joint-venture documents, trade mark appeal procedure, schemes of arrangement and online dispute injunctions. For small businesses, the common thread is operational discipline: price claims need evidence, credit products need proper cost modelling, deal documents need a real chronology, IP litigation needs representation planning, acquisition schemes need clear disclosure and online disputes need controlled communications.
Consumer Law & TradingFinance, Payments & SecurityContracts & CommercialCompanies & StartupsIP & Brand ProtectionDigital & Ecommerce - Case7 June 2026
Current regulator, platform and greenwashing cases added
The selected cases section now includes a further official-source batch for cartel penalties, crypto wallet licensing, AML/CTF reporting, online safety notices, carbon-registry controls, financial advice referral models, greenwashing claims and enterprise-agreement dispute scope. Each page explains the actual court story, the limits of what was decided and the practical checks a business should run.
Finance, Payments & SecurityDigital & EcommerceEnvironment, Waste & PollutionConsumer Law & TradingEmployment & Workplace - Reviewed7 June 2026
Universal outdoor mobile obligation Bill tracked
This is mainly a telecommunications-sector and regional-connectivity update, but it matters to small businesses that provide telco services, resell communications products, depend on remote field teams or operate in areas where outdoor mobile coverage is a key operational risk. The Bill should be tracked as a service-continuity and customer-communications issue, not just a telco policy story.
Digital & EcommerceConsumer Law & Trading - New7 June 2026
Product and import compliance coverage added
Product, food and import-heavy small businesses now have a federal compliance cluster covering imported food, country-of-origin food labels, trade measurement, therapeutic goods, biosecurity and agvet chemical products.
Food & Product ComplianceConsumer Law & TradingDigital & Ecommerce - Case7 June 2026
Current pricing and credit cases added
Business owners now have richer selected-case explainers for pricing claims, online discounting and responsible lending checks, based on current Federal Court judgments rather than metadata summaries.
Consumer Law & TradingDigital & Ecommerce - Reviewed1 Apr 2026
Unfair trading practices Bill added to tracker
This is one of the biggest live consumer-law watch items for small businesses. If it passes, subscription sellers, marketplaces, ecommerce brands, SaaS operators, booking platforms and retailers may need cleaner fee disclosure, easier cancellation flows and stronger review of sales practices that feel unfair even when a narrow term is technically disclosed.
Consumer Law & TradingDigital & EcommerceContracts & Commercial - Amendment28 Mar 2026
ACCC penalty increase added to Competition and Consumer history
The maximum penalty risk for serious competition and consumer law breaches has become sharper. For small businesses, the practical point is not that ordinary mistakes suddenly attract the highest penalty. It is that misleading claims, cartel risk, unfair market conduct and weak approval controls now need stronger review before campaigns, pricing changes, competitor contact, sales scripts or platform terms go live.
Consumer Law & TradingContracts & CommercialDigital & Ecommerce - Reviewed27 Nov 2025
WA Australian Consumer Law source added to history
WA businesses should treat the Australian Consumer Law as both a national consumer-law framework and a WA source-checking exercise. The consolidated WA page is useful for retailers, ecommerce businesses, service providers, franchisors and complaint teams because local enforcement, version history and official currency can matter when checking representations, refund terms, unfair terms or regulator correspondence.
Consumer Law & TradingDigital & Ecommerce - Reviewed24 Nov 2025
Deepfake and online safety Bill added to tracker
This is not yet a general business compliance rule, but it matters for businesses using synthetic media, creator content, AI image or voice tools, user-generated content, influencer campaigns or face and voice likeness in marketing. The safe operating point is to treat consent, permissions and takedown escalation as a governance issue, not just a creative approval step.
Privacy & DataDigital & EcommerceIP & Brand Protection - New27 June 2022
Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Regulations 2022 history added
This is the kind of subordinate regulation that should sit behind the parent Victorian fair trading page rather than become a thin standalone law page. For retailers, ecommerce sellers, service providers and complaint teams, it is a reminder that practical Victorian consumer-law work often involves checking the Act, the current regulations and Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance together.
Consumer Law & TradingDigital & Ecommerce - Amendment22 Feb 2017
Notifiable Data Breaches history added
This is the update that made breach-response planning a board and management issue for Privacy Act entities. Businesses handling personal information need a practical response process for suspected incidents: contain the issue, work out what information is involved, assess serious harm, decide whether notification is required and keep records of the decision.
Privacy & DataDigital & Ecommerce - Amendment12 Nov 2015
Small-business unfair contract terms history added
This is a major history point for small businesses using standard terms, SaaS terms, supply agreements, franchise documents, credit documents or online customer contracts. It is the reason small-business standard form contracts now sit inside the unfair contract terms conversation. Operators should treat this as part of the Competition and Consumer Act history, not as a separate Act to read in isolation.
Consumer Law & TradingContracts & CommercialDigital & Ecommerce - Amendment12 Dec 2012
Australian Privacy Principles reform history added
This is the foundation for the modern Privacy Act compliance model many businesses now recognise. It helps explain why privacy policies, collection notices, access and correction processes, direct marketing controls, overseas disclosure checks and credit-reporting rules cannot be treated as separate admin tasks. They are all part of the same Privacy Act operating system.
Privacy & DataDigital & Ecommerce - Reviewed2000 Act
Information Privacy Act 2000 history added
This is the predecessor privacy-law story for Victoria, not a current standalone guide for small businesses. It helps readers understand why Victorian privacy material may refer to older information-privacy concepts before moving into the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. Businesses should still separate Victorian public-sector privacy rules from federal Privacy Act obligations.
Privacy & DataDigital & Ecommerce
Cases
ACCC v Coles Supermarkets
Discount campaigns need to be genuine, not just technically lower than a recently increased price. If a business advertises a was/now or price-drop promotion, it...
ACCC v Emma Sleep
Online discounting needs discipline. If products are almost always advertised as discounted, or sale countdowns keep rolling, the business may be selling urgency...
ASIC v BPS Financial
Crypto, payments and wallet products can fall inside financial-services law even where the business sees itself as a technology or marketplace operator. Legal...
ASIC v Oztures trading as Binance Australia Derivatives
If a regulated product is meant to be offered only to wholesale clients, the onboarding controls need to prove that status before access is given. Classification...
ASIC v Walker Stores
Businesses offering goods on instalments or consumer credit need to model the true credit cost, not just the sales price. Large penalties can follow if interest,...
ASIC v Westpac
Regulated customer requests only count if the operational system actually catches them, routes them and answers them on time. Credit providers, fintechs and payment...
Campbell v McIntyre
Online disputes can become urgent ACL and reputation litigation. If a commercial dispute spills into videos, articles, WhatsApp groups or investor communications,...
Capic v Ford
Consumer guarantee exposure can travel beyond the first sale, but the chain of title and the type of resale matter. Businesses selling products through dealers,...
Container Rotation Systems v Intermodal Solutions
A trade mark can lose practical power if competitors successfully turn it into a generic product descriptor. Businesses should use marks as brands, police misuse...
eSafety Commissioner v X Corp
Platform safety obligations can require detailed regulator reporting, not just internal moderation effort. If a notice asks for information in a specified form, a...
McCallum v Projector Films
Creative businesses should be careful with credit clauses and moral rights consents. A broad contract waiver may not solve attribution risk if the project later...
New Aim v Leung
Supplier lists, buyer know-how and marketplace sourcing data can be protected, but only if the business treats them like valuable confidential information before a...
On Clouds v Cyclonic
Brand clearance is not just a database exact-match search. A short added ending can still be too close if customers are likely to remember the dominant part of the...
Orikan v Vehicle Monitoring Systems
A patent is only as strong as the specification behind it. Product businesses should make sure the patent teaches the real implementation, records the best known...
Qoria scheme of arrangement
Schemes of arrangement depend on disclosure, ASIC process and shareholder meeting mechanics. If a company is pursuing a merger or acquisition by scheme, the booklet...
TEQSA v Chegg
Regulated digital services need product controls, not just terms of use. If a platform enables users to buy help that crosses into prohibited conduct, overseas...
ACCC v Kogan Australia
Sale pricing must be real. If a business raises prices before a promotion and then advertises a discount, the legal question is whether customers are actually...
ACCC v TPG Internet
Headline prices must show the real deal. If unavoidable charges are hidden, delayed or visually downplayed, a technically true price can still create a misleading...
Google v ACCC
Advertisers are responsible for the claims in their search ads. Google won this case on platform responsibility, but a business that writes or approves misleading...