The European Commission has announced a plan to combat addictive design in games, apps, and websites that push users, especially children, into spending money. Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath revealed in an interview with the Financial Times that the initiative runs on two tracks. The first is a digital fairness proposal due by year-end, targeting addictive interfaces, subscription traps, and other so-called dark patterns. The second track involves granting the Commission direct enforcement powers in large cross-border cases, covering not only Big Tech companies already regulated under the Digital Services Act but also smaller online traders and video game makers. Big Tech firms, as shown by the recent Apple lawsuit against OpenAI, often face legal battles, but fines for unfair commercial practices have been rare so far.
Children at the heart of the new digital crackdown
Minors are the central focus of the regulatory push. McGrath emphasized that children are particularly impressionable and vulnerable, and protections need strengthening wherever a commercial transaction underlies the digital experience. The games sector is especially concerning: many games aimed at children monetize through in-app purchases but never reach the 45 million user threshold in the EU required for the strictest DSA tier. The new rules could close that gap, though the exact scope remains undefined.
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Enforcement gap and direct fine proposal
Currently, consumer protection rules are enforced by individual member states, with the Commission in a coordinating role. McGrath criticized that this coordination has never resulted in a fine or penalty, offering no real deterrent for companies willing to break the rules. Therefore, the new proposal would introduce direct fining powers for the Commission in the most serious cases, a significant shift from the current slow and often ineffective sanctions system.
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Internal resistance and global context
The proposal faces opposition within the EU. According to the Financial Times, some officials and member states, including Poland, argue that the new regulation overlaps too much with existing legislation like the DSA. The text is still under discussion. Meanwhile, the debate on restrictions for minors fits into a broader context: the bloc is considering a social media ban for under-13s, while the UK, France, and Australia have already implemented restrictive measures. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken in favor of such bans, but McGrath sounded more cautious, suggesting alternatives such as stricter rules on addictive design, safer default settings, and better digital literacy. He pushed back against simply pulling children offline, noting that being online carries real benefits and will remain part of their adult lives. For more on deceptive techniques, see the Wikipedia entry on dark patterns.
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This European initiative represents a significant step toward protecting vulnerable consumers in the digital ecosystem. The digital fairness proposal is expected by December 2026, marking a turning point in platform design regulation. The coming months will be crucial to see if internal resistance can be overcome and whether the new direct enforcement power becomes a reality.
