Consumer Law Literacy for Students in the Age of Marketplace in Indonesia

The growth of online marketplaces as part of the digital transformation has expanded e-commerce activities while simultaneously increasing the risk of consumer rights violations, particularly for students who have relatively low levels of legal literacy. This situation highlights a gap between the availability of legal instruments and consumers’ ability to utilize the legal protections provided by legislation. This paper aims to analyze the framework of consumer legal protection in marketplace transactions based on Indonesian positive law and to examine the urgency of legal literacy education as a means of raising students’ legal awareness. This study employs a legal research method with a statutory approach. The analysis examines various regulations, legal doctrines, and research findings related to consumer protection in electronic transactions. Research findings indicate that the consumer legal protection system is regulated by Law No. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection and its supporting regulations; however, the effectiveness of its implementation remains hampered by the complexity of legal relationships among consumers, businesses, and digital platforms, low legal awareness, and suboptimal dispute resolution mechanisms. Therefore, strengthening consumer legal literacy through systematic, contextual, and sustainable education is a strategic step toward equipping students to become digital consumers who are capable of understanding, protecting, and advocating for their rights in marketplace transactions.