Sharon Basch is a rising 3L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a JURIST staff correspondent in Washington DC this summer. Wednesday morning I attended a US Senate Budget Committee hearing entitled “Making Wall Street Pay its Fair Share: Raising Revenue, Strengthening Our Economy.” The hearing was called to discuss tax policy and … Read more
Temu, a popular e-commerce app in the EU with 75 million monthly users, is under scrutiny for potential breaches of consumer protection laws. The European consumer rights organization BEUC and national bodies have filed complaints alleging the use of manipulative design tactics to pressure users into purchases, lack of transparency on seller information, and violations of the Digital Services Act. Temu has pledged to cooperate and investigate the allegations. Similar concerns have been raised in Germany and South Korea, with the app expected to face stricter compliance requirements as a “very large” digital platform under the DSA.
Energy Minister George Papanastasiou invoked the name of late United States President John F. Kennedy in a speech for World Consumer Rights Day, highlighting Kennedy’s view of consumers as central to the economy. Papanastasiou discussed the economic challenges exacerbated by global crises like the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis, leading to economic instability and high inflation. He emphasized the government’s focus on introducing cheap energy, promoting renewable energy sources, and energy conservation, including the launch of the “Photovoltaics for All” scheme. Additionally, he mentioned the planned “e-basket” scheme for price transparency and a bill to allow the government to set maximum retail prices on certain products, alongside a policy of zero VAT on essential products to alleviate financial pressures on consumers.