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Press release
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English
The European Commission's preliminarily findings that TikTok is in breach of the Digital Services
Act (DSA). While DSA enforcement remains slow, today's decision is a step closer towards
stricter compliance with the EU’s rules.
Act (DSA). While DSA enforcement remains slow, today's decision is a step closer towards
stricter compliance with the EU’s rules.
Position paper
Available in
English
In the following contribution, we highlight the most important changes for consumers regarding the AI Act and share BEUC’s recommendations to ensure that both a high level of protection for consumers and a regulatory level playing field for EU businesses remains in place.
Position paper
Available in
English
The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) introduces a right to explanation for decisions primarily based on high-risk AI systems. BEUC views this right as essential for accountability, enforcement, and redress under the AI Act.
BEUC has long warned that obscurity in AI and algorithmic systems undermines consumer autonomy and fosters unfair practices and discrimination, especially when consumers cannot understand the logic behind scoring, profiling, or risk assessments by AI systems. The right to an explanation helps rebalance this information and power asymmetry. It obliges companies to disclose meaningful information about logic and factors behind the decision.
This is the minimum requirement to allow consumers to detect mistakes, identify unfair practices and seek redress. To ensure the effectiveness of the right to explanation under the AI Act, BEUC recommends the EU to draft clear guidelines with the following in mind:
Clear guidance on the AI Act’s interpretation and the interplay with other EU legal frameworks
Connecting the right to an explanation and the right to complaint
Encourage proactive provision of explanations
Promote a clear two-step enforcement pathway process
BEUC has long warned that obscurity in AI and algorithmic systems undermines consumer autonomy and fosters unfair practices and discrimination, especially when consumers cannot understand the logic behind scoring, profiling, or risk assessments by AI systems. The right to an explanation helps rebalance this information and power asymmetry. It obliges companies to disclose meaningful information about logic and factors behind the decision.
This is the minimum requirement to allow consumers to detect mistakes, identify unfair practices and seek redress. To ensure the effectiveness of the right to explanation under the AI Act, BEUC recommends the EU to draft clear guidelines with the following in mind:
Clear guidance on the AI Act’s interpretation and the interplay with other EU legal frameworks
Connecting the right to an explanation and the right to complaint
Encourage proactive provision of explanations
Promote a clear two-step enforcement pathway process
Press release
Available in
English
BEUC welcomes the proposed codification of key consumer rights in telecoms but warns this should not reduce or go against higher levels of consumer protection.
Letter
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English
In this letter to Permanent Representations to the EU, BEUC expresses its concerns about the European Commission's Digital Omnibus proposals ahead of the respective Council discussions.
Consumer organisations recall that the Commission recently issued assurances that the simplification agenda was not going to lead a deregulation wave. The recent proposals seem to go in the opposite direction.
Consumer organisations recall that the Commission recently issued assurances that the simplification agenda was not going to lead a deregulation wave. The recent proposals seem to go in the opposite direction.
Press release
Available in
English
The European Commission’s first non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act (DSA) is good news, as it found that X has breached key transparency obligations. Deceptive design, opaque advertising practices and barriers to researcher access are serious risks for consumers and undermine trust in the online environment.
Press release
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English
The Commission's digital omnibus proposal raises serious concerns regarding consumers’ online privacy and protection. Rather than provide simplification for Europeans, the text presents a watering down of the EU’s privacy rules and a substantial delay and undermining of AI rules that will benefit mainly non-European Big Tech companies. We are disappointed to see this proposal has not considered the recent concerns expressed by legislators, stakeholders and civil society.
Press release
BEUC welcomes the EU court's decision to uphold Amazon's designation as a Very Large Online Platform
Available in
English
BEUC welcomes today’s General Court's ruling upholding the designation of Amazon as a ‘Very Large Online Platform’ (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). BEUC had intervened in the case alongside the European Commission to defend the European consumer views.
Letter
Available in
English
In this letter to Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner McGrath, BEUC expressed its concerns with the recent public reports that the European Commission, in the upcoming Digital Omnibus proposal, is preparing to enact an extensive reopening of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA).