Overview
- The European Commission formally presented the draft Digital Fairness Act on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, and the measure now enters months of negotiation with EU member states and the European Parliament.
- The draft would ban deceptive 'dark patterns', require clear pricing and labels for influencer promotions, force platforms to offer human customer service on request, and let users switch off features that encourage compulsive use.
- For games the proposal would require publishers to show the real‑money value of virtual currencies, disable paid currencies and loot boxes by default for under‑18s, and prohibit pay‑to‑win and pay‑to‑progress mechanics for minors.
- As an EU regulation the DFA would apply across all member states and to non‑EU companies serving EU users, give the Commission delegated powers to update banned practices, and allow fines up to 6% of global turnover for large cross‑border breaches.
- Industry groups and major game firms say key terms such as 'pay‑to‑win' and what counts as 'directed at minors' are unclear, making practical enforcement and mixed‑age game scenarios the central issues to watch during the law‑making process.