There’s no right season to market unhealthy food to children
You are surely used to see chocolate or candy ads flourishing in supermarkets or online. That’s no surprise as Saint Nicholas’ Day just kicked off the candy-laden season, with Christmas next in line. If adults are tempted, children are even...
#Toyfail: When toys fail children
What would you say if the doll you bought for Christmas was used to eavesdrop on your child, or if the conversation you have with the doll was used for targeted advertising and shared with unnamed 3rd parties? Most of...
TTIP is hibernating. So let’s improve it.
At this point it’s perhaps a bit cliché to say it, but free trade is on shaky ground. Public support for trade liberalisation is waning, the Financial Times illustrated. This scepticism is very much highlighted by wrangling on a proposed...
“I want my update!”
Imagine you want to buy a new mobile phone: a smartphone that is a software-driven internet device. You expect this new device to work on the latest technology. You expect that it will be able to run the latest apps....
What does the EU copyright reform mean to you as a consumer?
In September, the European Commission revealed its plans to modernise EU copyright laws. “Why is that important for me?” you might think. Fair point. For most consumers copyright law does not top the list of their daily concerns. But think...
Not enforcing consumer rights costs air passengers millions
Your flight was cancelled at the last moment. Or you found out at the airport that you cannot check in as your flight was overbooked. Sounds familiar? That’s because millions of people find themselves in this kind of situation all...
Keep an eye on WhatsApp
In September 2016, WhatsApp started to share personal information with its mother company Facebook. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) is fighting for WhatsApp to respect your privacy. Imagine You would like to use a specific messenger service on...
Lisa’s story and the price of anti-cancer drugs
The child of a dear friend of mine, whose name is Lisa, unfortunately developed cancer when she was only 4. She is now 8 and has received the all-clear from the doctors. She was one of the lucky children who...
Why privacy safeguards in trade deals need urgent improvement
The EU and 22 other countries are closing in on a huge deal to liberalise trade in services. One of the few pending issues in this Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is the question of how to make sure trade...
Fuzzy maths or how the Commission solves ‘costly’ chemicals laws
The European Commission is running EU chemicals laws through its REFIT machine. REFIT sounds like a strenuous fitness regime for overweight risk managers, right!? It’s not. Instead, it is a Commission programme that looks to streamline EU laws – a...