Consumers should have greater protections online thanks to the Digital Services Act which EU ministers signed off on today. This was the last political stage before the text becomes EU law. It is crucial that the Digital Services Act gets properly enforced by national authorities and the European Commission.

A major change that will benefit consumers is that online marketplaces will now have to verify sellers using their platforms are legitimate. Currently, online marketplaces are awash with unsafe and illegal goods, as research by BEUC’s member network repeatedly shows, and this is possible because these marketplaces do little to nothing to check who the sellers are. The DSA will also better protect consumers from the use of sensitive or children’s data for targeted adverts.

Ursula Pachl, Deputy Director General of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said:
“The Digital Services Act will improve the situation for consumers online for example by requiring online marketplaces to check who the sellers on their platforms are. Until now, it has been too easy for companies to sell illegal or unsafe products while the online marketplace preferred to look the other way. This legislation will also further restrict the use of sensitive or children’s data for targeted advertising which is a very welcome change.

“If the EU is serious about protecting consumers and leading the world when it comes to regulating the online environment, it is crucial that the Digital Services Act is effectively applied and enforced. This law must not become a paper tiger. The Commission and the member states must allocate sufficient resources to monitor that companies are meeting their obligations and effectively enforce the law without hesitation.”