The European Commission announced proposed Digital Fairness Act rules on 11 November 2026, targeting manipulative online design and pricing across the European Union’s 27 member states.
Wired reported that the package would affect services including Duolingo, Strava and Ticketmaster, while requiring clearer commercial disclosures and easier ways for consumers to leave digital subscriptions.
Users could switch off addictive features
The proposals would let consumers disable features such as autoplay and streaks on digital services, including the uninterrupted-activity rewards used by Duolingo and Strava.
Autoplay begins further content without a fresh choice, while streaks encourage repeated use by rewarding consecutive activity. The proposed controls would give users a direct way to turn both off.
Pricing and influencer promotions face new rules
Ticket retailers would have to make tiered pricing transparent, although Wired corrected its report to clarify that Ticketmaster does not use dynamic pricing in the European Union.
Paid influencer promotions would require clear disclosure. The package would also prohibit personalised advertising and pricing aimed at minors or based on the exploitation of sensitive data.
Cancellations and customer support would change
Digital subscriptions would need to become easier to cancel, addressing services where joining is more visible or straightforward than ending an agreement.
Consumers would also gain a right to interact with a human customer-service representative, creating an alternative when automated systems cannot resolve an issue.
Commission says existing laws leave gaps
Michael McGrath, the European Commission’s consumer protection commissioner, described the package as the most significant reform of EU consumer protection rules in more than 20 years.
He said existing rules were developed before ecommerce, attention-driven services and personal-data marketing became central to digital businesses. Henna Virkkunen said the proposals would fill gaps rather than duplicate existing laws.
TikTok and Meta show enforcement stakes
The Commission has already examined addictive design under the Digital Services Act, including TikTok’s personalised For You feed and its recommended-content system.
Previous findings against TikTok cited infinite scroll, autoplay and push notifications, while a July finding said Meta breached rules through similar features on Instagram and Facebook.
The digital fairness act will make sure the digital economy works for consumers and not against them.
Michael McGrath, European Commission consumer protection commissioner
If the existing findings are confirmed, TikTok and Meta could face fines of up to 6 per cent of worldwide annual turnover under current enforcement processes.
The Commission plans stronger cross-border cooperation, direct powers to investigate large-scale effects and a requirement for non-EU companies to appoint local legal representatives.
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