Category: Digital rights
Play it again, Siri – what Apple’s acquisition of Shazam could mean to consumers
It’s Sunday afternoon and it’s raining outside. You want to relax at home watching a classic, and you go for Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. In one scene there’s a song you fall in love with, so you quickly grab your...
How Google is eroding consumers’ freedom to choose
Google hit the headlines last year when the European Commission fined the tech giant €2.42 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. It has been argued the European Commission has over-stepped the line here. After all, if people like and use...
Roaming done. International calls next
Since 15 June, roaming fees in the EU are part of history. That is undoubtedly great news for consumers and a big step towards the creation of a single market for telecom services. But it has also created a terrible...
#Toyfail: When toys fail children
What would you say if the doll you bought for Christmas was used to eavesdrop on your child, or if the conversation you have with the doll was used for targeted advertising and shared with unnamed 3rd parties? Most of...
“I want my update!”
Imagine you want to buy a new mobile phone: a smartphone that is a software-driven internet device. You expect this new device to work on the latest technology. You expect that it will be able to run the latest apps....
What does the EU copyright reform mean to you as a consumer?
In September, the European Commission revealed its plans to modernise EU copyright laws. “Why is that important for me?” you might think. Fair point. For most consumers copyright law does not top the list of their daily concerns. But think...
Keep an eye on WhatsApp
In September 2016, WhatsApp started to share personal information with its mother company Facebook. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) is fighting for WhatsApp to respect your privacy. Imagine You would like to use a specific messenger service on...
The consumer-policy nuts and bolts of the sharing economy
The sharing economy is a phenomenon which profoundly changes the way consumers buy or rent goods and services. It also allows consumers to enter the market to provide goods, services, time or skills themselves and become – what we call...
Big data, smart enforcement
Last week I spoke at a conference which was jointly organised by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and BEUC. Its motto hit the nail on the head: how can privacy rights be enforced in an era where big data...