The NCC's work on new technology currently focuses on End User Licence Agreements (EULAs) and children's use of the internet.

EULAs are the 'terms and conditions' that users have to agree to when they want to install new software. These licence agreements are more like legal mandates than
consumer options, raising concerns about the extent to which they favour the producer over the consumer. We explore some of the issues in the report 'Whose licence is it anyway?', which can be downloaded in the list below.

NCC, Childnet International and expert in marketing to children, Dr Agnes Nairn teamed up to author the report – 'Fair game?'. Findings include: the majority of the country’s 7-16 year olds are established internet users and are attracted not just to kids’ sites but to those aimed at adults too; and a quarter of adverts on children’s best-loved sites are aimed at adults – such as gambling and dating services.

Consumer Policy in the Digital Age Roundtable – 20 June 2008

At a round table event in London, the European Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Meglena Kuneva, unveiled her vision for consumer policy in the digital age. 

The event, attended by key figures from politics, industry, consumer and regulatory bodies, academics and the media, was supported by the NCC and chaired by Lord Whitty, our chairman.

Commissioner Kuneva gave a speech setting out the challenges raised by the growing level of economic and commercial activity taking place online and over mobile phones.   A third of EU citizens now buy over the internet and half of businesses use the internet as a retail channel.

The speech set out five priorities aiming to open up e-commerce within the European internal market, and to deliver a fairer deal for EU consumers:

• A single, simple set of consumer contract laws covering issues including complaints, return periods and guarantee terms
• Reconsider artificial restrictions imposed by suppliers on distribution over the internet
• A critical assessment of the use of business models based on geographical discrimination to tackle businesses charging different prices depending on where customers are based.
• Clamping down on the “next generation” of unfair commercial practices emerging online
• Addressing critical personal privacy issues such as data collection and profiling practices.

Anna Fielder, NCC policy advisor said: “Commissioner Kuneva announced a series of positive measures designed to help EU consumers when they use the internet.  We have long been concerned about issues such as privacy and restrictive barriers put by online businesses to give consumers a raw deal and welcome all steps to clean up the digital market and make the consumer experience safer and fairer.”

 For further details click here