eYouGuide introduces digital rights to consumers

The “eYouGuide” – a new online guide setting out the digital rights, launched by the European Commission in Strasbourg on this week, seeks to offer citizens "practical advice" on consumers' rights. These include rights towards broadband providers, online shopping, downloading music and protecting personal data online, particularly when using social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace. Among the rights which eYouGuide tells online shoppers there are the right for clear information about prices and conditions before making a purchase; the right for delivery within thirty days of purchase; the right for protection against rogue vendors, and unfair contractual terms and commercial practices and so on. The Commission hopes that giving consumers clear information about their rights "will increase trust and help unlock the full economic potential of Europe's single online market, worth €106 billion in revenues". Meglena Kuneva, EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner, said: "The screen is the new marketplace, the online single market will only be a success for business if consumers have confidence in the online environment. Consumers can be sure that all these rights apply on the three million websites ending with the suffix '.eu'. All such sites must be registered by a person or company established in the EU, and they are subject to the bloc's laws.”