Breaking the extractive digital business model: a rights-based Digital Fairness Act

The European digital landscape is facing renewed scrutiny as organizations like European Digital Rights (EDRi) advocate for a more rights-based approach to platform design. EDRi's recent position paper highlights how manipulative interfaces and exploitative personalization are becoming endemic to the digital economy, arguing that current legislation falls short of addressing these fundamental issues. This push signals a growing demand for systemic change that embeds fairness directly into digital infrastructure, aiming to counteract detrimental business models. At the core of the discussion is the concept of "fairness by design and by default," a principle EDRi believes must be integrated into the very fabric of digital services. This approach seeks to move beyond reactive measures and proactively build digital environments that prioritize user rights and well-being over extractive practices. The paper emphasizes that deceptive interfaces and addictive design patterns, common in today's digital services, necessitate a foundational shift in how platforms are built and operate. The implications of this advocacy extend to all users of digital platforms within the EU, impacting how individuals interact with online services and how data is utilized. By calling for a "Digital Fairness Act," EDRi aims to foster a more equitable digital ecosystem, potentially reshaping the business models of major tech companies and encouraging the development of more ethical digital alternatives. This initiative underscores the EU's ongoing commitment to digital sovereignty and user protection in an increasingly complex digital world.