Good morning and welcome to this week's #FairMonday! Your weekly dose of fairness for the digital world! Let’s dive in: ?????? & ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????????????? On January 23, 2025, the Indian Department of Consumer Affairs demanded responses from #Ola and #Uber over allegations of dark patterns in their apps based on a December 2024 survey by LocalCircles. The survey uncovered potential surveillance pricing practices like varying fares between Android and iPhones and price surges when devices have low batteries. It also highlights bait-and-switch tactics, where nearby taxis shown on the app were much farther away. Users also reported being penalized with cancellation fees for issues caused by the platform or driver and hidden charges added after rides that were not disclosed upfront. The companies now face scrutiny over these exploitative practices. ?????? ???????????? ???????? ???? ???????????????????????? ?????????????? The FTC’s Surveillance Pricing 6(b) study reveals how companies exploit consumer data to manipulate pricing, often at the expense of fairness and competition. By leveraging location tracking and personal profiles, businesses personalize prices using dark patterns like false urgency and hidden costs. The FTC flagged firms like #Mobilewalla and #InMarket for hyper-targeted pricing tactics and aimed to enforce fair pricing rules under Section 5 of the FTC Act. ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? German Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke urges the EU Commission to strengthen enforcement against dark patterns under the DSA. The BMUV warns that manipulative designs, fuelling addiction, and exploiting users, especially children, pose serious risks. Lemke is pushing for clearer rules, stricter penalties, and the upcoming Digital Fairness Act to curb these tactics. A vzbv investigation found major platforms like Amazon, Instagram, and TikTok still use push notifications, autoplay, and FOMO tactics, despite some enforcement progress. ?? Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eDiarG9N ?? Follow news updates on our site: https://lnkd.in/eiFBtjm4 ??? Listen to our podcast: https://lnkd.in/eht9qxZV
