Nepal, March 21 -- The government has announced penalties for business owners who sell goods and services online and write reviews or comments about the features and quality of their own products. This provision appears in the recently ratified E-Commerce Act, 2081 BS.

Section 15 (Responsibilities of businesses engaged in list-based electronic commerce) and Section 16 (Responsibilities of the seller) of the Act prohibit self-reviewing. Subsection (c) of Section 15 states, "The seller or any other person must not review, evaluate, or provide feedback regarding the quality and features of goods or services listed on a sales platform, either as themselves or as a disguised consumer."

Subsection (c) of Section 16 also includes a similar pro...