Overview
- The European Commission formally tabled the draft Digital Fairness Act on Wednesday, setting out a Regulation-style proposal that would apply across all EU member states without national transposition.
- The law would ban interface “dark patterns,” require clear price and probability information for variable‑reward systems, and force platforms to offer simple ways for users to disable attention‑maximising features such as autoplay and streak rewards.
- For videogames the draft says paid loot boxes must not be offered to anyone under 18, virtual currencies must show their real‑world value and pay‑to‑win or pay‑to‑progress mechanics would be barred for minors.
- Enforcement would be strengthened with new cross‑border powers and penalties up to 6% of global annual turnover for large, widespread breaches, and companies serving EU users would need local legal representatives if they are non‑EU.
- Industry groups warned the rules are vague and hard to implement, regulators expect negotiation and change during talks with the Parliament and member states, and adoption is projected to take place in the 2027–2030 window.