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The European Commission has introduced sweeping new legislation aimed at tackling deceptive online practices and addictive digital designs. The Digital Fairness Act proposes strict prohibitions that will impact popular apps and platforms such as Duolingo, Strava, and Ticketmaster across the 27 member states.
Overhauling Consumer Protection in the Digital Age
The package represents the most significant reform of EU consumer protection rules in more than 20 years, according to Michael McGrath, the EC Consumer Protection Commissioner. He stated at a press conference that existing rules were created before ecommerce and the modern attention economy emerged, emphasizing that the new act ensures the digital economy works for consumers rather than against them.
The proposed rules will ban dark patterns, which are deceptive design tactics that manipulate consumers into making unintended choices, such as fake scarcity claims about low product stock. Furthermore, the legislation will curb dynamic pricing by ticket sellers like Ticketmaster, require influencers to clearly disclose paid promotions, and ban personalized advertising and pricing that targets minors or exploits sensitive data.
Tackling Addictive Features and Subscriptions
Under the new bill, consumers will gain the ability to turn off addictive design features on digital services, including video autoplay and streaks found on apps like Strava and Duolingo. Additionally, the legislation will simplify the process for canceling digital subscriptions and guarantee users the right to interact with human customer service representatives.
President Ursula von der Leyen previously highlighted the broader risks of addictive design during her State of the Union address, noting that such harms affect everyone rather than just minors. Some of these addictive patterns are already restricted for children under the EU Kids Act, while broader risks are addressed by the Digital Services Act.
Enforcement and Penalties for Tech Giants
Executive vice president Henna Virkkunen explained that the new regulation is intended to fill gaps between existing frameworks like the Digital Markets Act and the AI Act without duplicating them, creating a robust safety net across the bloc.
To ensure compliance, the Commission aims to accelerate cross-border cooperation and grant regulators direct powers to investigate large-scale impacts. Companies that violate the rules could face fines of up to 6 percent of their worldwide annual turnover, and non-EU firms will be required to appoint a local legal representative to cooperate with authorities.
