The European Commission on Wednesday proposed the Digital Fairness Act, a sweeping new consumer rulebook aimed at the design tricks that keep people scrolling, spending and stuck in subscriptions they no longer want. Among its headline ideas: banning paid loot boxes for anyone under 18, making in-game currencies off by default for minors unless a parent approves, and giving every user the right to switch off endless scrolling and autoplay.
The proposal is not law yet. It now heads to the European Parliament and the EU’s member states, a process that dpa reported could take months or years. But because it would apply to any company that sells to European consumers, wherever that company is based, the plan could shape how apps, games and online stores are built for everyone.
What the Commission proposed
According to TNW, the Digital Fairness Act would replace the EU’s 2005 Unfair Commercial Practices Directive with a single, directly applicable regulation, swapping 27 national rulebooks for one. Justice and consumer protection Commissioner Michael McGrath called it the most significant reform of EU consumer law in more than 20 years, dpa reported.
The main pieces, as described by TNW, TechCentral.ie and dpa:
- Dark patterns: a general ban on manipulative design, plus a list of practices banned outright, including fake countdown timers, false “almost sold out” claims, pre-ticked add-ons, nagging pop-ups and guilt-trip wording when you try to leave.
- Games and kids: paid loot boxes would have to show their odds and would be banned for under-18s; in-game currencies would have to show their real-money value; and pay-to-win or pay-to-progress mechanics would be off limits for minors.
- Addictive features: users could turn off features such as endless scrolling and video autoplay that are designed to encourage compulsive use.
- Subscriptions: free trials could not quietly turn into paid plans without the customer actively agreeing, renewals would come with reminders, and cancelling would have to work online in a few clicks.
- Ads and pricing: profiling-based ads aimed at minors would be banned, personalized pricing that could harm minors or vulnerable people would be restricted, and influencers would have to clearly disclose paid content.
- Tickets: sellers would have to be clearer about dynamic pricing, and virtual queues would have to show the current price along with the highest possible price.
- A human on the line: consumers would have the right to speak with a real person, and customer hotlines run only by AI would be banned. The plan also sets clearer rights when AI agents buy things on a shopper’s behalf.
On enforcement, a parallel update to EU consumer cooperation rules would, for the first time, let the Commission itself investigate large cross-border cases and fine companies up to 6% of their worldwide annual turnover, TechCentral.ie reported. Companies outside the EU would need a legal representative inside it.
“The Digital Fairness Act will put consumers back in control.” — Commissioner Michael McGrath, via TechCentral.ie
Why the EU says it is needed
The Commission has been building toward this for two years. A 2024 review of EU consumer law found that 97% of the sites and apps it examined used at least one dark pattern, Tech Times reported ahead of the announcement. This week, the Commission said more than 80% of popular e-commerce sites and apps use manipulative marketing tactics, according to TechCentral.ie.
McGrath told reporters the measures could save EU consumers up to €13.7 billion (about $15.3 billion) a year, dpa reported. TNW said the Commission’s impact assessment puts the benefit at €88.4 billion in reduced consumer harm over a decade, against business costs of about €678 million a year.
The new act sits alongside other EU efforts. Tech Times noted that the Commission proposed a separate EU Kids Act in September, which would bar social media for children under 13 and limit autoplay, infinite scroll and streaks for minors. That proposal is also not yet law. Big tech companies are already adjusting how they handle young users; Meta, for example, recently expanded its AI teen age detection on Instagram worldwide.
Not everyone is cheering
Some industries pushed back on day one. Germany’s newspaper and magazine publishers’ associations, BDZV and MVFP, said the rules would worsen conditions for the free press, according to dpa. Earlier reporting summarized by Tech Times described a long tug-of-war between business groups and advocacy organizations over how broad the law should be, and some concern inside the Commission about overlapping rules.
Why it matters for families
- Kids and in-game spending: loot boxes and virtual coins are a common source of surprise charges. Even outside Europe, games built for a global audience often change features worldwide rather than run separate versions. Parents can already review purchase settings, as we noted in our look at what parents should know about GTA VI.
- Subscription clean-up: the proposal is a good reminder to check bank statements for trials that turned into monthly charges, and to cancel what you do not use.
- Screen-time tools: the right to turn off autoplay and endless scrolling would be new in law, but many apps already offer those switches in their settings today.
What to watch next
The text now goes to the European Parliament and EU governments, where it can be changed. TNW said years of negotiation lie ahead, and earlier analysis cited by Tech Times did not expect the act to take effect before the end of 2028 at the earliest. Key questions include whether the loot box ban for minors survives intact and how strongly the Commission’s new direct enforcement powers hold up. This is a developing story, and Upstormed News will follow it.
Read more: ChatGPT Retires Its Older Voice Modes Dec. 11 as OpenAI Moves Everyone to GPT-Live
Should apps and games be required to let you switch off endless scrolling and autoplay? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Sources: TNW, “Digital Fairness Act: EU moves to outlaw dark patterns and subscription traps” (November 11, 2026); TechCentral.ie, “EU unveils Digital Fairness Act to curb manipulative online sales tactics” (November 11, 2026); dpa via Yahoo News, “EU executive unveils raft of measures to protect consumers online” (November 11, 2026); Tech Times, “EU Dark Patterns Law Listed for Wednesday: Digital Fairness Act Targets Firms Platform Rules Miss” (November 9, 2026)
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