The European Commission plans digital fairness rules targeting addictive design and dark patterns, plus a potential social media ban for minors.
European regulators are moving to expand their authority over Big Tech's consumer protection practices, with a proposal expected before the end of the year.
The European Commission is preparing to announce new digital fairness rules that target addictive website and app design, subscription traps, and other "dark patterns" that push users into spending money, the Financial Times reported Sunday. The commission is also weighing a social media ban for younger users, pending findings from an expert panel due Monday.
"We have to make sure in the coming weeks that we have an overall coherent response to an issue that has really taken off," EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath told the FT. "Not just in political circles but I think among the general public."
The push comes as more countries consider online protections for children. The U.K. recently banned platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram for users under 16. France has announced national-level restrictions. U.S. lawmakers last week overwhelmingly backed a bipartisan package of online child safety measures, the KIDS Act, which sets baseline federal standards for protecting minors online.
McGrath said the digital fairness legislation is designed to address "any remaining gaps in the area of consumer protection online," with a particular focus on young people. "Children can be particularly impressionable and vulnerable," he said. "So we think protections need to be strengthened in that area, especially if there is an underlying commercial transaction there."
The EC's proposal would complement other measures under consideration, including age-verification technology for users trying to access online pornography and requirements for AI chatbots to disclose they are not human. The KIDS Act also includes provisions limiting minors' use of disappearing messages.
"There's no single silver bullet that will resolve all the issues," McGrath said. "I think we will need a set of measures that are working together."
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