The recently released Digital Fairness Fitness Check by the EU Commission highlights the growing importance of consumer protection rules for building trust in online commerce. However, it also reveals that existing regulations against so-called dark patterns, personalised targeting, and "manipulative designs" are still inadequately enforced.
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This Fitness Check offers a preview of the consumer protection initiatives expected from the upcoming EU Commission.
Alien Mulyk, Head of Public Affairs for Europe and International, warns against losing focus on essential issues in future proposals: 'The Fitness Check serves as a harbinger of the new EU consumer protection agenda. Europe is failing to enforce existing laws against violations by third-country merchants and platforms, while legitimate traders face increasing bureaucratic costs. Before Europe outlines future plans, it should first master the fundamentals: the application of consumer protection is highly fragmented at the national level, resulting in significant costs for authorities and businesses alike. What we need are harmonized rules and reduced regulatory complexity. Only then can both traders and consumers fully benefit from the EU internal market.'
Read the full report here.
More information:
Bevh
www.bevh.org