EU Proposes Digital Fairness Act to Ban Dark Patterns and Subscription Traps
The European Commission wants explicit consent before free trials turn into paid plans, plus new rules for addictive design and influencer marketing.
The European Commission unveiled its proposed Digital Fairness Act on November 11, a package of consumer protection rules aimed at tactics that apps and websites use to steer people into spending more time and money than they intended.
The proposal was presented by Justice and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath.
What the rules target
- Dark patterns: designs that trick people into choices, like hiding the cancel button or pre-ticking add-ons.
- Subscription traps: companies would need explicit consent before a free trial converts into a paid plan.
- Addictive design: features built to keep users scrolling or playing.
- Influencer marketing: clearer rules on paid promotion.
Penalties
Reuters, as carried by The Star, reported that the draft allows fines of up to 6% of a company's global turnover for serious breaches, similar in scale to the EU's other big tech laws.
What happens next
This is a proposal, not law. It must still be negotiated and approved by both the European Parliament and the Council of member states, which typically takes well over a year. Tech industry groups are expected to push back on how broadly terms like addictive design are defined.
Sources
This story is based on reporting and official statements from:
Details were accurate when published on November 11, 2026. Found an error? Email [email protected].
