The European Commission has published a proposal for a Digital Fairness Act intended to strengthen consumer protection against online practices that induce or manipulate people into spending more time and money.
According to IT Home on November 11, citing a Bloomberg report that evening, the proposal would give users the right to turn off features that encourage addiction or excessive use of online services. Companies that break the rules could be fined.
The EU has long tightened rules on technology around antitrust and privacy. This proposal shifts attention to the methods platforms use to attract billions of users and keep them engaged. It is expected to have a major effect on large social platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. E-commerce platforms and AI chatbots could also face limits.
The act would ban “dark patterns” in online sales—inducing or deceptive interface designs that lead consumers to choices they would not otherwise make. Cited examples include falsely claiming a product is about to sell out and deliberately making it difficult to cancel a subscription. The rules may also restrict AI chatbots from prompting users to keep interacting.
Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner responsible for consumer protection, said the Commission wants to make clear that falsely claiming goods or services are in short supply is a dark pattern and must be prohibited.
The proposal would also expand the European Commission’s direct enforcement powers. If a violation affects two-thirds of the EU population, the Commission could step in directly instead of leaving the matter entirely to national regulators. For some violations, fines could reach 6% of a company’s global annual turnover. The Commission has said smaller companies would not be covered by this direct enforcement.
The Digital Fairness Act still requires negotiation and approval by EU legislative bodies, and substantial changes remain possible before it becomes law.
Original article: https://www.ithome.com/1/025/735.htm