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New EU directives
The EU has published consumer protection directives. Members states have 2 years to implement and enforce these directives.
The interesting bit is this:
3) Banning pre-ticked boxes on websites
When shopping online – for instance buying a plane ticket – you may be offered additional options during the purchase process, such as travel insurance or car rental. These additional services may be offered through so-called ‘pre-ticked’ boxes. Consumers are currently often forced to untick those boxes if they do not want these extra services. With the new Directive, pre-ticked boxes will be banned across the European Union.
I wonder if ‘subscribe to our newsletter’, and it’s ilk, would count as a service in this context since banning the pre-ticking of those would be a very good thing IMO.
James, I started to plow through the new directives to see if I could answer just that question. As far as what I’ve read so far “services” seem to imply additional offers that result in additional cost. Nothing has jumped out at me in the way of no pre-checked boxes for future marketing material, but I still need to find some reading time to finish.
One person did tell me that pre-checked opt-ins were already outlawed in the EU. I am not familiar enough with EU law, but it seems to me that the EU is much more consumer friendly than the US and is quite possible.