New Development: European Parliament adopts draft report to address the addictiveness of digital platforms

Earlier this year, the European Parliament published a draft report (the Report) on the addictive design of online services and consumer protection. The Report has now been adopted, with overwhelming support (38 votes in favour, none against and 1 abstention), by the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCPC) of the European Parliament. The IMCPC had repeatedly expressed concern over the addictive design features of certain digital services and called for the promotion of ethical design by default. The adoption of the Report signals the European Parliament’s intent to address the addictive nature of digital services like online games, social media, streaming platforms and online marketplaces which have the potential to abuse users’ vulnerabilities.

For full coverage on the European Parliament’s draft report on the addictive design of online services and consumer protection, see our Autumn 2023 Snapshots.