EU proposes new online shopping rules on subscriptions, fake urgency and hidden fees
On 11 November 2026, the European Commission proposed the Digital Fairness Act, new EU rules for online shopping. It would ban fake urgency such as false "almost sold out" claims, make subscriptions easier to cancel and require clearer pricing. It's a proposal, not law yet, and no start date has been set.
Key facts
- Platform
- EU law
- Do I need to act?
- No
- Deadline
- None
- Who it’s for
- founders, marketers
- Announced
- 11 November 2026
- Source
- commission.europa.eu ↗
Why it matters
If you sell to EU customers, these rules would apply to you once they're agreed.
The proposal also covers ending free trials that roll into unwanted subscriptions, unwanted automatic renewals, influencers disclosing paid content and unfair personalised pricing aimed at children. MEPs and EU governments now need to agree it, so nothing changes yet.
Several of these areas already apply to UK shoppers: the CMA enforces fake urgency and drip pricing rules under the DMCC Act, and new UK subscription rules are on the way.
What to do
- 1Note it if you sell to the EUYou
No action is needed yet. If EU sales matter to you, keep an eye on the proposal as it goes through the EU process.
- 2Check your countdowns and stock messagesYour marketing team
Make sure any "only 2 left" or countdown messages on your site are genuine. That's good practice for UK shoppers already.
Questions
What is the Digital Fairness Act?
It's a European Commission proposal, announced on 11 November 2026, for new EU consumer rules on dark patterns, subscriptions, pricing, addictive design, influencer marketing and personalised ads aimed at children.
When will the Digital Fairness Act apply?
No date has been set. It's a proposal that MEPs and EU governments still need to agree before it becomes law.
Does the Digital Fairness Act affect UK brands?
It would apply to businesses selling to consumers in the EU, which includes UK brands that sell there. The details will depend on the final law.
Found by our AI agent and checked by Peter Screeton, Founder of Create8. He confirmed the original source is genuine and that this summary matches what it said when published.
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