Tech News Meta's new pay-or-consent policy still breaches EU law, consumer advocates claim The social media giant may have softened its rules allowing subscribers to Facebook and Instagram to get no ads, but users still aren’t getting a fair choice, BEUC argues. 23/01/2025
Tech News Geo-blocking restricting EU consumers’ access to online goods, report finds The European Court of Auditors (ECA) reports progress in curbing unjustified geo-blocking but calls for harmonised enforcement of regulations and a potential extension to other sectors. 21/01/2025
Tech News 'Wild West' refurbished good market needs taming, argues consumer group Euroconsumers highlights the lack of common EU standards concerning the quality of refurbished products and the framework governing their resale. 16/01/2025
Europe News IBAN discrimination still harms consumers, says EU auditors From February 2021 to September 2023, consumers reported almost 3,500 cases of alleged IBAN discrimination on the 'Accept My IBAN platform', mostly in France and Spain, accounting for 31% and 21% of all cases respectively. 09/01/2025
Nutrition European consumers baffled by food labelling spaghetti Lack of EU actions has led to an overwhelming array of labels and claims, leaving consumers struggling to make informed choices, according to EU auditors. 25/11/2024
Tech News Consumer group report adds to fight against dynamic pricing Euroconsumers, a consumer rights advocacy group, has raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the algorithms behind dynamic pricing. This issue could soon be addressed in the upcoming EU law on online consumer protection. 25/11/2024
EU Decoded EU DECODED: Could lab-grown meat arrive in supermarkets soon? In this episode we talk about new ways of manufacturing mankind’s primary source of protein: meat. The Netherlands, Spain and Germany lead the way in development of cell-based meat, but it has already been banned in Italy. So how urgently does the EU need to address common rules on the product? 19/11/2024
Europe News EU Commission warns Temu to fix consumer protection violations The Commission and national consumer authorities have found that Temu engages in illegal practices like fake discounts and misleading reviews. Already under DSA investigation, Temu has one month to respond to these accusations. 08/11/2024
Tech News Oasis ticket costs spur European lawmakers to kerb dynamic pricing Skyrocketing ticket prices for Oasis concerts in the UK and Ireland, ranging from €86 to €400, have prompted MEPs to call for stronger consumer protections while ensuring access to cultural events. The issue is expected to be brought up during the upcoming Commissioner hearings, according to MEPs. 17/10/2024
Europe News EU top court rules in favour of veggie burgers in labelling dispute Plant-based foods can continue to be sold and promoted using terms traditionally associated with meat, as long as their composition is clearly labelled and does not mislead consumers, the EU Court of Justice ruled. 04/10/2024
Tech News EU Commission: Current consumer rules unfit for 2024 online market The Commission’s report on EU consumer law finds that addictive designs, social media influencers, and dark patterns are posing risks for users, manipulating their choices online. It will serve as the basis for the Digital Fairness Act, which will be on the next Justice Commissioner's agenda. 04/10/2024
Tech News What were tech commissioner Virkkunen’s policy concerns as an MEP? Data shows that incoming EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen showed growing interest in tech dossiers such as audiovisual laws during her ten years as an MEP. 02/10/2024
Europe News Aldi's fake discounts breach EU law, top European court says The supermarket can’t pretend it’s offering a discount if it raises prices just to cut them back, the judges ruled in a case brought by consumer activists from Baden-Württemberg. 26/09/2024
Health news France fines 11 pharmaceutical labs €8 million over drug shortages Big names in the pharmaceutical industry were accused of failing to comply with regulations to prevent drug shortages. 24/09/2024
Tech News Apple hit with €62 million EU class action for unfair charges on music Big Tech giant Apple was hit with a €1.8 billion European Commission fine in March for unfair pricing that allegedly locked out competitors. 18/09/2024
Tech News EU consumer group denounces in-game currency enticement BEUC lodges complaint against the video games companies owning Fortnite, EA Sports, Minecraft, Roblox and Clash of Clans for pushing often young users to purchase in-game currency. 12/09/2024
Tech News Dutch regulator to fine sellers of fake online reviews Sanctions of up to €900,000 seek to end misleading and unfair practices in e-commerce 23/08/2024
Tech News Euronews Digital Summer: New head of consumer group has AI, telco regulations in sights Agustín Reyna on AI, upcoming telecom reforms and the need to enforce the platform regulation laws. 05/08/2024
Tech News Consumer authorities warn Meta over misleading 'pay or consent' switch The European Commission is probing the US social media giant regarding potential breaches of EU consumer law. 22/07/2024
Tech News Incoming EU parliament to work on AI liability despite lobby concerns Consumer groups support the new law to protect people from faults caused by artificial intelligence (AI). 12/07/2024