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Consumer groups red card Meta’s latest pay-or-consent policy

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has written to relevant EU enforcement authorities to share its concerns that Meta’s latest pay-or-consent...

Privacy and personal data protection Enforcement Online platforms
EU consumer protection authorities pile additional pressure on Temu for use of unfair commercial practices

National consumer protection authorities (the Consumer Protection Cooperation network, or CPC), coordinated by the European Commission, have piled...

Product safety Enforcement Online platforms
European Commission reveals blind spots in protecting consumers online

The European Commission published the results of its Digital Fairness Fitness Check on EU consumer law. The report evaluates whether EU consumer law...

Consumer policy
Draghi push for competitiveness must not come at expense of competition and consumers

The much-anticipated report from former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, laying out how to boost EU industry’s competitiveness on the global stage...

EU competition policy
Authorities back consumer groups in taking action against Meta pay-or-consent policy

Today, the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities in the EU (the Consumer Protection Cooperation network) announced they...

Privacy and personal data protection Enforcement
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Artificial intelligence
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Online platforms
Privacy and personal data protection
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Smart speaker in kitchen
MEPs push for improvement in AI legislation to protect consumers
- PDF Document - 122.68 KB

Artificial intelligence
Available in English
The lead committees in the European Parliament want beefed-up protections for consumers in the AI Act, which would be the world’s first law addressing artificial intelligence. The text approved today in the civil liberties (LIBE) and internal market and consumer protection (IMCO) committees would clearly improve the Commission’s proposal. It addresses crucial issues that the Member States ignored in their position adopted in December last year.
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visual on consumer attitutes to health data sharing
Consumers uneasy with sharing their health data, survey shows
- PDF Document - 169.77 KB

Digital health
Available in English
A survey across eight European countries shows that consumers are more cautious about sharing their health data than legislation currently under discussion at EU level proposes. The findings underline that EU legislators urgently need to better reflect people’s preferences in the European Health Data Space Regulation which is already under discussion by the EU institutions. This is essential for people to feel confident about sharing their health data to improve healthcare provision and make their data available for research and public health purposes.
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The internet has come to be a central element of the commercial, personal and professional lives of European consumers. While the digital environment grows bigger and more important, it must be remembered that consumers deserve as much protection online as they do offline.

For consumers to reap the benefits of the digital era, the protection of people’s privacy and personal data is at the forefront of our work. We also strive to ensure consumers have guaranteed and affordable access to the internet. We work to ensure that the openness and neutrality of the internet is protected. We advocate to strengthen consumer rights so that consumers for example enjoy competitive, fair, clear and transparent contracts. Besides this, without cybersecure digital tools and services consumers’ physical security and safety is at risk.

Despite its borderless character, consumers are confronted with content access restrictions depending on their nationality or country. Our work is to ensure consumers have access to a vibrant market of affordable legal offers for music and audiovisual content across Europe.

E-commerce shops, booking sites and social media play a pivotal role in people’s lives but very often consumers are harmed because of scams, unsafe products sold online and misleading practices. We therefore aim to make platforms more responsible for their offers and services.

Artificial intelligence is changing our societies. It evokes big promises to make consumers’ lives easier and better but  comes along with many concerns. Consumers are at risk of becoming subject to discriminatory treatment and non-transparent decisions. Our aim is to ensure that the development and use of AI is adequately regulated and that consumers have strong rights so that they are protected and can reap the benefits of the digital transformation of our societies.

  • Ensure consumers enjoy a high level of personal data protection and online privacy.
  • Ensure the Telecoms Single Market delivers to consumers’ expectations on fair competition, better pricing, stronger consumers’ rights and affordable and secure access to the full internet.
  • Make online platforms responsible for the products and services they offer. Those who benefit financially from illegal activities need to be accountable and have obligations too.
  • The introduction of a horizontal cybersecurity law that would lead to connected products meeting certain minimum requirements before they hit the market.
  • Put in place a strong set of AI consumer rights for instance on accountability, transparency and control of AI.