EU Proposes Digital Fairness Rules Impacting Popular Tech Platforms

The European Commission announced comprehensive updates to consumer protection rules designed to safeguard EU citizens from harmful digital practices. The proposed Digital Fairness Act targets manipulative online features, such as dark patterns, deceptive product scarcity claims, and personalized advertising targeting minors. Additionally, the new legislation addresses addictive design elements like streaks, autoplay videos, and infinite scrolling found on platforms like Duolingo, Strava, and TikTok. It also seeks to curb dynamic pricing by ticket retailers, simplify subscription cancellations, and ensure access to human customer service, with potential fines reaching up to six percent of a company's worldwide annual turnover.