The Digital Fairness Act (DFA) represents a pivotal step in modernizing EU consumer protection for the digital age. As online environments become increasingly data-driven, algorithmically curated, and commercially influenced, concerns about transparency, fairness, and consumer autonomy continue to grow.

From design choices that shape decision-making to personalized content and new forms of digital marketing that blur the line between editorial and commercial content, today’s digital ecosystem presents both opportunities and challenges for consumers, businesses, and regulators. The European Commission first signaled its intent to tackle these issues in 2020 through the New Consumer Agenda. Since then, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament have advanced several key initiatives—most notably the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA)—to clarify platform responsibilities and safeguard user rights. As part of the preparatory work for the DFA, a public consultation was held between November 2022 and February 2023, followed by the publication of a Fitness Check report in October 2024, evaluating whether current consumer protection rules remain effective in a digital-first economy.

More recently, during the European Retail Innovation Summit in Brussels, Commissioner Didier McGrath described the DFA as “both a pro-consumer and pro-business initiative,” underlining the Commission’s dual ambition to empower consumers while encouraging innovation and competitiveness. A new public consultation is expected to launch in the coming weeks, with a legislative proposal anticipated by mid-2026—a key milestone in the EU’s evolving digital regulatory agenda. (Source: European Commission – Better Regulation Portal)

To foster meaningful dialogue within this evolving regulatory landscape, Euroconsumers and Google, through their joint Consumer Empowerment Project (CEP), have launched a closed-door roundtable series. This initiative will bring together institutional stakeholders, industry leaders, and academic experts to explore the core challenges, policy options, and best practices that will shape the DFA.

Titled “Exploring Digital Fairness,” the series aims to provide an open and constructive forum for dialogue, where diverse perspectives can inform and enrich the legislative process. Each roundtable will focus on a distinct but interconnected issue—from algorithmic transparency to platform accountability—offering fresh insights and building a coherent, forward-looking discussion aligned with the DFA’s trajectory from policy conception to regulatory action.