Brussels moves to outlaw fake scarcity and subscription traps online
The European Commission has proposed a Digital Fairness Act that would ban manipulative sales tactics, simplify cancellation of subscriptions and give shoppers the right to reach a human in customer service.
The European Commission has put forward a Digital Fairness Act, a proposed overhaul of EU consumer rules aimed at closing the gap between protection in shops and protection online, as reported by Cyprus Mail. The package targets manipulative marketing tactics, unclear pricing and contracts that are simple to sign but difficult to leave.
Under the plan, firms would be barred from pressuring shoppers with false claims that stock is nearly gone, and would have to show real-time prices in virtual queues and when dynamic pricing is used for cultural and sports events. Subscriptions and free trials would become easier to cancel, and customers would gain the right to speak to a person rather than only a chatbot.
The Commission estimates the changes could save consumers across the EU as much as €13.7 billion annually. The text now goes to the European Parliament and Council for discussion.
"Shopping has never been more convenient, but convenience must never come at the expense of fairness," said Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
What it means for residents
For anyone on the island who books flights, renews app subscriptions or shops with overseas retailers, the proposal is a promise of fewer tricks at checkout — but not yet a change in daily life. The text must clear Parliament and Council, and EU directives are then transposed into Cypriot law, so expect a wait of a year or more before anything is enforceable here.
- Subscriptions: keep an eye on auto-renewals and expired free trials — the new rules would make quitting them simpler.
- Prices: dynamic pricing for events and in-app currencies would have to be shown openly.
- Complaints: until the law lands, keep screenshots of misleading offers and take them to the Consumer Protection Service.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
