ABC of Online Consumer Disclosure Duties: Improving Transparency and Legal Certainty in Europe

J. Luzak (), A. J. Wulf, O. Seizov, M. B. M. Loos and M. Junuzović
Additional contact information
J. Luzak: University of Exeter Law School
A. J. Wulf: SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences
O. Seizov: SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences
M. B. M. Loos: University of Amsterdam
M. Junuzović: University of Amsterdam

Journal of Consumer Policy, 2023, vol. 46, issue 3, No 2, 307-333

Abstract: Abstract Following a series of complimentary studies assessing the current application of the principle of transparency of consumer information in Croatia, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the UK, this paper presents research findings on how to improve its effectiveness. Documented differences in national laws and practice indicate the need for a more harmonised approach on the level of the European Union. This demand also arises from the interviews the research team has conducted with various national stakeholders. Whilst the legislative transparency requirements could remain general, e.g., a duty for traders to provide consumer information in “plain and intelligible language,” traders, consumers, and enforcement authorities all require more legal certainty as to what amounts to compliance with these requirements. Based on the stakeholders’ suggestions, an interdisciplinary literature review, findings from doctrinal, comparative legal research, and a conducted quantitative study, the paper recommends empirically motivated, multimodal guidelines to implement textual, contextual, and technical measures.

Keywords: Transparency; Information obligations; Consumer protection; Online communication; Information design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10603-023-09543-w Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:jcopol:v:46:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10603-023-09543-w

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... es/journal/10603/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s10603-023-09543-w

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Consumer Policy is currently edited by Hans Micklitz, John Thøgersen, Lucia A. Reisch, Alan Mathios and Christian Twigg-Flesner

More articles in Journal of Consumer Policy from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().