Building firm trust online

The article explores various barriers to efficient e-commerce and the critical role of government in building firm trust online. Cookies, clickstream data trails and the ease of conducting online surveys have permitted unprecedented tracking of what consumers search for, click on and ultimately buy. Aggregating that data results in an entrepreneur's dream for extracting significant characterizations of the Internet consumer population. Consumer-side research has already repeatedly stated that existing risks in e-commerce pose substantial barriers to consumer participation online. If the Internet is to truly hold the promise of borderless commerce, laws and taxes must be harmonized at an international level. Only governments have the authority and extensive reach to enact and enforce this level of coordination. A combination of solutions over time at the individual, industry, and government levels will develop needed enabling institutions in order to create a stable, less risky base for further e-commerce.