The spread of the use of the Internet in economic and social life has undeniably contributed to the development of the digital economy. Thus, it is hard to imagine that it won't affect consumer behavior. The primary purpose of this study is to identify current trends shaping consumer behavior....

Privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation aim to empower consumers with greater transparency and control over their personal data. In response, firms may exercise price discrimination in the form of versioning. This paper studies how these two aspects of privacy regulation...

Unter der neuen US-Regierung zeichnet sich ein Wandel im Verbraucherschutz ab. Der Fokus liegt auf Marktmechanismen und dem Abbau regulatorischer Vorgaben. Eine mögliche Folge sind intransparente Preismodelle. Studien zeigen, dass diese Verbraucher:innen systematisch zu höheren Ausgaben...

The Commissioner-designate made a number of commitments in his written and oral responses. These are highlighted in this document, which has been produced to support Parliament's scrutiny of the Commission over the course of the 2024-2029 term, including through the Committees' annual structured...

The Commissioner-designate made a number of commitments in his written and oral responses. These are highlighted in this document, which has been produced to support Parliament's scrutiny of the Commission over the course of the 2024-2029 term, including through the Committees' annual structured...

Tackling greenwashing is an issue where human rights, consumer rights and climate goals align. Companies use greenwashing to convince people to buy products that are not always as environmentally friendly as they claim to be. They mislead consumers and harm the environment. This report shows how...

Tackling greenwashing is an issue where human rights, consumer rights and climate goals align. Companies use greenwashing to convince people to buy products that are not always as environmentally friendly as they claim to be. They mislead consumers and harm the environment. This report shows how...

In 2024, the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System surpassed all previous records in protecting consumers from dangerous products. The system recorded a record-high 4,137 alerts, almost doubling the notifications since 2022 and confirming an upward trend from the previous year. The Commission...

Smartphone apps deliberately apply behavioral design, including algorithms sensing human behavior and personalized design elements affecting it. Untransparent behavioral design exploits an information asymmetry between app vendors and consumers and can lead to negative effects on consumers such...

In light of the data provided and taking under consideration the classification as toxic for reproduction Cat. 2, the SCCS considers micron-sized particulate Silver not safe at concentrations up to 0.2 % in rinse-off and 0.3 % in leave-on cosmetic products when used alone or in combination....

This document highlights major advancements in financial inclusion, especially with the PIX payment system. However, financial consumers are increasingly at risk from fraud, scams, over-indebtedness, and mis-sold bundled insurance products. It calls for a structured approach to reforming the...

This study investigates how neuromarketing practices intersect with consumer privacy regulation in California, with particular attention to the 2024 Senate Bill 1223 (SB 1223), which amends the CCPA/CPRA to explicitly define "neural data." By examining corporate strategies and regulatory...

This study's objective is to test the impact of misleading price reduction presentation practices on consumer choices. Key findings - The mapping of methods in which e-commerce platforms present discounts identified that price reductions were displayed in ways which are likely to confuse or...

This study's objective is to test the impact of misleading price reduction presentation practices on consumer choices. Key findings - The mapping of methods in which e-commerce platforms present discounts identified that price reductions were displayed in ways which are likely to confuse or...

Belk’s ( Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168, 1988, Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 477–500, 2013) seminal work on possessions and the extended self explains how possessions form and symbolize an individual’s extended self. According to the framework, material possessions...

Focusing on India's toy industry, this study investigates how field-configuring events facilitate the institutionalization of ethical consumerism in emerging markets. Through virtual ethnographic analysis of the First India Toy Fair 2021, we examine how digital platforms enable institutional...

The European Central Bank's interest rate hikes since July 2022 have been passed on to customers by banks on credit markets to a much greater extent than on deposit markets. As a result, banks' net interest margins have risen extraordinarily sharply. An analysis of the interest rate pass-through...

Social media platforms mediate and regulate how influencers engage in monetisation practices. In this social-legal paper we examine one form of monetisation, influencer marketing, to understand how platform policies and interfaces shape commercial content for influencers. We situate our inquiry...

This paper provides a graphic overview on core legislation in the area of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. The presentation essentially covers the areas within the responsibility of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, but also displays neighbouring areas of...

This paper provides a graphic overview on core legislation in the area of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. The presentation essentially covers the areas within the responsibility of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, but also displays neighbouring areas of...

As you start a new life here in the EU, you'll probably need to buy items for you and your family. You might also want to travel to visit friends and family. And let's not forget the many contracts and all the fine print you will need to read and sign for everything from car insurance to utility...

2023 Report of the European Panel to the European Commission in application of Decision 1194/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2011 establishing a European Union action for the European Heritage Label.

Article 40 of the CPC Regulation obliges the European Commission to submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the CPC Regulation by 17 January 2023, including an evaluation of its application. The overall objective of this study was to provide an evaluation of the current CPC...

The free movement of goods within the European Single market is a major achievement that has improved people's lives across the EU. Keeping the market safe is the responsibility of all producers, distributors, retailers and online marketplaces selling goods in the EU. They must ensure their...

The 20th century witnessed a surge in global economic activities, which propelled the growth of the consumer movement. Unfortunately, this also results in the overconsumption of natural resources, endangering the sustainability of society, the economy, and the environment. Consumption-oriented...

Labels provide consumers with information about the content of their food and help them make informed purchasing decisions. We found that food labelling in the EU can help consumers make better-informed decisions when purchasing food, but there are notable gaps in the EU legal framework as well...

Labels provide consumers with information about the content of their food and help them make informed purchasing decisions. We found that food labelling in the EU can help consumers make better-informed decisions when purchasing food, but there are notable gaps in the EU legal framework as well...

The GRIDMAP, Global Regulations, Institutional Development and Market Authorities Perspective Consumer Protection Module, aims to develop consumer trust in markets by providing a toolkit to build fair, secure, and contestable markets that enable all consumers to make informed choices

Emerging financial products driven by innovation, such as virtual assets and simplified payment services, introduce both new conveniences and in-transaction risks to customer funds. Despite regulations on segregating customer funds already in place, full compliance by businesses with these rules...