It is reported that, in order to register a new domain name under the ".sv" top‑level domain, an individual must be appointed as the administrative contact (that is, the person responsible) for the respective domain name. This individual is required to be a permanent resident of El Salvador.

Decree No. 776 on Consumer Protection Law provides a comprehensive framework for consumer protection that also applies to online transactions. Art. 4 of the Consumer Protection Law provides a taxative list detailing the basic rights of the subjects benefited by the law. In addition, Arts. 21-A and 21-B refer to the obligations of suppliers in e-commerce.

El Salvador has acceded to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

El Salvador has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

El Salvador has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

It is reported that foreign companies have expressed concerns about the inconsistent and discretionary application of customs regulations and procedures, leading to unpredictable delays and administrative fines. For example, exporting from a duty‑free zone is considered unduly cumbersome, as it requires representatives of both the receiving company and the shipping company to be physically present for the exchange of documents and the release of materials. In addition, the customs valuation process for imports of express shipments remains unclear.

Self-certification is permitted in El Salvador for radio transmission equipment and for compliance with electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements, allowing both domestic and foreign companies to demonstrate conformity through a Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), whereby the supplier or manufacturer attests that the equipment meets the applicable technical and administrative requirements. In practice, the conformity assessment procedures for EMC and EMI rely on such declarations, as there is no obligation to register equipment with the regulatory authority, nor a requirement to undertake testing in an accredited or recognised laboratory; where testing is conducted, the choice of laboratory remains at the discretion of the supplier or manufacturer. Compliance is primarily assessed against standards established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

According to Art. 1 of the Law for the Facilitation of non-commercial online purchases (Decree No. 208), the de minimis threshold, that is, the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is USD 300, above the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). This applies to purchases made by individuals under the modalities of postal shipments, express delivery or courier companies, small family shipments, and air parcel managers, who are exempt from the payment of import duties and are not subject to compliance with non-tariff requirements.

Under Art. 15 of the Law for the Protection of Personal Data, entities that process personal data are required to appoint a data protection officer.

Art. 5 of the Law for the Regulation of Information Services on Credit History of Persons states that the Central Reserve Bank shall have unrestricted access to the databases of public law institutions or private entities containing real-time credit history data information on individuals.

The Intellectual Property Law establishes a safe harbour regime under which intermediaries that control computer systems connected to digital communication networks may be exempted from liability for copyright infringements committed through their systems. Arts. 305.n and 306 jointly provide that operators and other intermediaries are liable only when they have actual or duly substantiated notice of infringing activity, or when the infringement could not reasonably be ignored without gross negligence. Once placed on notice, intermediaries must act promptly to remove or disable access to the infringing material in order to retain the safe harbour protection. They are exempt from liability when acting in good faith and adopting appropriate technical measures to prevent or halt unauthorised uses of protected works.
In addition, Art. 24 of the Law of Electronic Commerce establishes that providers offering internet access services or data transmission via telecommunications networks shall not be held liable for electronic commercial transactions carried out by users in respect of the goods or services acquired, nor for the information transmitted or its content, unless the provider itself has initiated the transmission, altered the data, or selected the data or their intended recipients.

Art. 24 of the Law of Electronic Commerce establishes that providers offering internet access services or data transmission via telecommunications networks shall not be held liable for electronic commercial transactions carried out by users in respect of the goods or services acquired, nor for the information transmitted or its content, unless the provider itself has initiated the transmission, altered the data, or selected the data or their intended recipients.

It is reported that El Salvador imposes an identity requirement for SIM registration. Anyone wanting to purchase a SIM card has to provide their national ID card or a passport in case of foreigners to activate a new prepaid SIM card.

The Intellectual Property Law articulates a detailed framework for the effective protection of trade secrets, with Book III, Chapter XII addressing industrial or commercial secrecy in particular. The preceding Intellectual Property Law, specifically Title Four, likewise established a framework that provided effective protection of trade secrets.

It is reported that there is no obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in El Salvador to deliver telecom services to end users. However, it is practised in both the mobile and fixed sectors based on commercial agreements.