The European Commission released a proposal for the Digital Fairness Act (DFA), a new set of consumer protection rules, Engadget reported, citing a Commission news release. The proposal would ban dark patterns, end subscription traps that are difficult to cancel, require clear online pricing for cultural and sports events and let consumers turn off addictive design features that encourage excessive or compulsive spending. According to the draft, companies in breach could face fines of up to 6% of their annual global revenue.
The act would also restrict practices that push minors to overspend, such as pay-to-win loot boxes and persistent prompts, and would take on unfair personalized ads and prices aimed at minors. Influencers and content creators would have to be transparent about commercial content. "We are not making it harder to do business, we are making it harder to do business unfairly," EU justice chief Michael McGrath said.
The Commission also proposed shifting enforcement toward a more centralized system, with direct powers to investigate large-scale cases with a major consumer impact and stronger enforcement against non-EU companies. Engadget said the move could be seen as an attempt to replace a patchwork of national enforcement and to tilt power away from Ireland, which hosts Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft.
