Implementation of Consumer Protection in Indonesia: The Role of the State, Business Actors, and Consumers

Abstract

Consumer protection is a crucial component in creating a balanced relationship between consumers, businesses, and the state. Unequal bargaining power can place consumers more vulnerable to various forms of rights violations. This study aims to analyze the implementation of consumer protection in Indonesia through the roles of the state, businesses, and consumers and to identify barriers that influence its effective implementation. The study employed a normative juridical approach with a qualitative descriptive method through a review of regulations, previous research, scientific articles, and relevant literature. The analysis is based primarily on Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection, which provides the legal foundation for regulating the rights and obligations of consumers and business actors. The findings indicate that the consumer protection regulatory framework provides a legal basis for fulfilling the rights and obligations of all parties. However, its implementation still faces challenges such as weak oversight, limited access to information, low compliance among some businesses, limited effectiveness of dispute resolution institutions, and suboptimal consumer awareness. Therefore, effective consumer protection requires synergy between regulation, oversight, business actor responsibility, and consumer participation.