Socialists and Democrats Propose New Digital Fairness Act
The political group aims to curb deceptive online design and gaming practices through new EU-wide regulation.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Internet
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The Socialists and Democrats group has adopted a position paper calling for the European Commission to enact a Digital Fairness Act. The proposal aims to tackle manipulative design techniques and redress power imbalances between consumers and technology companies.
Why it matters
The proposal seeks to ensure the European Union's consumer protection framework remains effective against evolving digital threats. It focuses on limiting deceptive practices and shifting the burden of proof from users to corporations.
The proposal cites that 97% of popular apps and websites currently employ techniques designed to manipulate user behavior. The group aims to mandate that features like autoplay, infinite scrolling, and push notifications be disabled by default.
The players
Socialists and Democrats
This is a political group in the European Parliament that focuses on social justice and consumer protection policy.
European Commission
This is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation and implementing decisions.
The details
The position paper advocates for banning loot boxes and pay-to-win mechanics in video games while granting players rights to revive abandoned game titles. It also suggests that AI-powered chatbots must operate under clear, informed, and revocable user instructions.
Timeline
The S&D group adopted the position paper on October 21, 2026.
The Tech Race
This proposal extends the regulatory framework established by the Digital Services Act to address specific manipulative interface designs. It marks a broader shift in EU policy toward tightening oversight of user experience standards in the digital economy.
If enacted, users could see an end to intrusive default features like autoplay and infinite scrolling across popular digital platforms. Gamers may also gain more control over their software purchases by prohibiting loot boxes and pay-to-win payment structures.
The takeaway
This proposal highlights a growing legislative focus on consumer autonomy within the digital landscape. Users should be aware that future regulations may force platforms to eliminate many standard convenience features that drive engagement.
Further reading
For more on evolving digital regulations, visit the Internet section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Agence Europe.
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