Post by @edri@eupolicy.social

1/5 🚨 Today, the European Commission published its proposal for a Digital Fairness Act #DFA, with the aim to strengthen consumer protection against manipulative and exploitative commercial practices ➡️
https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/consumer-protection-law/digital-fairness-act_en

😵‍💫 Think of practices like fake notifications designed to bring us back to an app, endless scrolling that keeps you online longer than you intended, or personalised techniques that exploit your vulnerabilities.

Three people on their phones/online devices. There is a light blue background with concentric circles. Icons of message symbols are floating around.

European Commission

Digital Fairness Act

Proposal of the European Commission for a Digital Fairness Act and a Simplification Directive

#dfa

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EDRi

@edri@eupolicy.social 11 min. ago

2/5 👏🏾 The Commission's proposal takes some important steps forward. It introduces new prohibitions on deceptive design, extends specific protections beyond the biggest online platforms, and recognises the harms associated with addictive digital features. The accompanying consumer protection reforms could also give regulators stronger enforcement powers. We welcome this progress and the work behind it.

EDRi

@edri@eupolicy.social 10 min. ago

3/5 😟 But the proposal also leaves serious gaps:

❓ While it recognise that certain features encourage compulsive use, it largely leaves people responsible for finding the off switch

❓ Some protections depend on user characteristics like age instead of the harmfulness of a feature, potentially creating further incentives for harmful age verification

❓The proposal does little to address the algorithms and business models designed to maximise our attention, engagement and spending.

EDRi

@edri@eupolicy.social 10 min. ago

4/5 The Commission's recent preliminary ruling against TikTok under the DSA show why this is critical: It is already clear how recommender systems can push people towards harmful patterns of use. Based on the experience with the DSA’s systemic risk rules, we need clearer rules addressing these practices across the digital economy, not only for online platforms ➡️ https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-preliminarily-finds-tiktoks-addictive-design-breach-digital-services-act

EDRi

@edri@eupolicy.social 10 min. ago

5/5 The DFA should require companies to avoid manipulative and exploitative design from the outset - safer defaults, clear prohibitions of harmful practices, meaningful accountability and stronger protections for everyone. Companies should have to demonstrate compliance, rather than people and civil society spending years uncovering and challenging harmful product design.

🫶🏾 People should be able to use digital services without having to fear and fight their design every time they go online.