Dark patterns to become illegal in the EU countries

A key European Parliament committee agreed to a ban on dark patterns that trick web users. Also, they would like to ban advertisements targeting minors. The tougher regulation could spell trouble for tech giants in negotiations with any EU country.

Dark patterns trick users

Margrethe Vestager proposed the Digital Services Act to make big tech companies crack down on illegal content on their platforms. She is the European Commission antitrust chief. Therefore, based on that, the directive would result in fines of up to six percent of global turnover for not complying.

Still, Vestager’s proposal needs to be ironed out with EU countries lawmakers next year before it can become law. The first of its kind in the world, the proposal must be debated more thoroughly before it can become law. Last month, EU countries agreed on a common position that, in general, replicates the content of Vestager’s draft rules.

Personal data is the target

The committee also agreed to a ban on targeted ads for kids. So, the extensive and transparent rules require online platforms to reveal their algorithms and rules on pornography. This proposal came from Christel Schaldemose is proposing, a lawmaker steering the DSA trhough Parliament. Thus, she mentioned that algorithms should “play by the democratic rulebook,” and this is the purpose of the new rules.

So, EU lawmakers are taking action after the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, revealed the company’s disregard for its customers’ privacy. The new draft law will force Facebook to act in a transparent way and address many of the issues that Haugen brought up. According to the EU lawmaker Dita Charanzova, thus giants will have to remove illegal content. But they will also have to evaluate the harms their services bring for children and the general public.

Giants do not give up easily

On the other hand, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, which have their lobby grop – CCIA, called for a compromise during the January vote on the committee’s position. They “cautioned” that “further work is needed.”

In fact, a Californian judge decided to ban the use of dark patterns, still not all of them