Brussels, 31 March 2022
The EU Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders and Chair of the United States Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, agreed yesterday to strengthen cooperation and exchange good practices on consumer protection. Digital markets will be of particular interest for issues such as misleading design features (dark patterns), reliability of reviews and transparency of commercial links held by influencers. Ensuring fair sustainability claims and an effective right for repairs for consumers will be other points of focus. Furthermore, specific issues related to the protection of particular consumer groups, including children and underserved populations, will also be discussed.
Commissioner Reynders said: “Technological developments are continuously transforming the consumer experience, both in Europe and the United States. It is because of this and our shared values that we must work together on both sides of the Atlantic. We must ensure that consumers, including the younger ones, are able to make the best choices, free of unfair influence.”
The European Commission and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission have a longstanding history of dialogue on consumer protection issues, which include cooperation in multilateral settings, such as in the Committee on Consumer Policy at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and in the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN). In 2021, such cooperation efforts led to the adoption of an Implementation toolkit on legislative actions for consumer protection enforcement co-operation. More information is available in the statement and webpage on international cooperation.