A robust product safety period officially began today in online shopping. Sellers will now share product information in detail. Inappropriate ads will be removed within 24 hours. Foreign sellers will be required to have a local representative. The Regulation on Market Surveillance and Inspection of Products Offered to the Market via Remote Communication Tools to Ensure Transparency and Product Safety in Online Shopping came into effect. The regulation, prepared by the Ministry of Commerce and published in the Official Gazette dated October 30, 2024, officially started to be implemented after a 5-month transition period. PRODUCT INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED IN DETAIL According to the regulation, sellers will be obliged to provide safety information about their products clearly and comprehensibly. Producer or importer information, contact address, and product safety details will be included in the ads. Thus, consumers will be able to access more information about the product before making a purchase. This way, citizens will be able to inspect the product as if they were in a physical store while shopping online. TO BE REMOVED WITHIN 24 HOURS Virtual marketplaces will keep safety information about the products in their systems. When inappropriate products are detected, the ads for these products will be removed within 24 hours. Citizens will be provided with a compliant and safer shopping environment. These marketplaces will create contact points for citizens to apply for product safety. Complaints, notifications, and requests for information about the safety of products can be made through these points. REPRESENTATIVE REQUIREMENT FOR FOREIGN SELLERS Changes will also be made regarding firms selling products from abroad. Firms sending products from abroad will be required to appoint a local representative in Turkey. Firms that do not meet this requirement will not be able to sell to Turkey. Sanctions will be applied to those who do not act in accordance with the regulations, and access to inappropriate content will be blocked.