Attention! Does your company have an online shop? Or do you like to shop online yourself, reading reviews first? Then you should read this blog. This year, the rules for online shopping have been tightened considerably. For example, fake reviews are now legally prohibited. Paid advertising must also be clearer and the rules for sharing personal data have changed. The aim: to inform consumers more clearly and honestly. Agreements were already made at European level in 2019. These agreements are to be introduced throughout Europe in the coming years. In the Netherlands, these new (European) rules came into force on May 28, 2022. What do the new rules involve? Read about it in this blog.
Fake reviews
Consumer reviews are now an integral part of the internet. Before you go to a restaurant, you check the reviews first. Before you buy a certain vacuum cleaner, you read what other people thought of it. Unfortunately, there are also many fake reviews. With these new rules, traders must now check the authenticity of reviews before they can be posted on the website as a recommendation. So posting fake reviews is now legally prohibited. To complete this, traders must inform consumers whether and, if so, how they check whether reviews come from someone who actually purchased the product. A pretty big task for every trader. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) will monitor this for The Netherlands.
Advertising
In addition, the consumer must be better informed about advertising. The consumer must know whether he/she – for example by using algorithms – receives a personalized offer. If a trader pays for advertising, this must also be indicated in the search results.
Social media
Social media and other “free” digital services must also change their approach. Usually you can only use them if you leave your personal data behind. Many consumers do not know that they are actually entering into a contract with the provider. From now on, providers must better inform consumers about this contract and how it can be terminated. Are you terminating the contract? Then you need to ‘get back’ your personal data. The provider may then no longer use it.
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This contribution was made by our Dutch memberfirm De Koning Vergouwen Advocaten in Amsterdam.
For any further questions regarding this topic please contact Menno Loos via mail@dkva.nl.