网络格式条款的困境、成因分析与完善

Dilemmas, Cause Analysis and Improvement of Online Standard Terms

摘要: 网络格式条款在互联网时代的交易中具有显著优势，其在呈现方式、缔约场景与风险形态方面与传统的格式合同具有明显区别。相应地，网络格式条款在实践中呈现出缔约双方地位明显不对等、对合同自由带来挑战、对意思表示真实性产生挑战、对权利保护产生挑战等现实问题，上述问题的成因为现行法律的有限性、证明责任的移位与“显失公平”规定的模糊性。针对上述情况，文章提出了理性看待网络格式条款给合同自由原则带来的挑战、完善订入控制、完善效力控制、建立有效的行政审查机制、建立有效的纠纷解决机制五项完善建议。

Abstract: Online standard terms possess significant advantages in transactions of the internet era, exhibiting clear distinctions from traditional standard form contracts in terms of presentation, contracting scenarios, and risk profiles. Correspondingly, in practice, online standard terms present real-world issues such as a marked imbalance in the positions of the contracting parties, challenges to contractual freedom, challenges to the authenticity of intention declaration, and challenges to rights protection. The causes of the aforementioned issues lie in the limitations of current laws, the shift in the burden of proof, and the ambiguity of provisions regarding “gross unfairness”. In response to these circumstances, this article proposes five suggestions for improvement: rationally viewing the challenges posed by online standard terms to the principle of contractual freedom, perfecting incorporation control, improving validity control, establishing an effective administrative review mechanism, and creating a dispute resolution mechanism.