Start Talking by Euroconsumers

Consumers rely on global trade and supply networks to get their daily bread, medicines, clothes, furniture, vehicles, fuel and personal tech. Globalization is such an inherent part of consumer markets that few of us give it any thought - until crisis hits. Consumers purchasing a familiar product might not feel like part of a geopolitical and economic battleground, but there’s a lot going on behind...

Multiple newspaper outlets, social media platforms and streaming services have introduced a subscription model for those who want to use the service but don’t want to consent to sharing their personal data to support advertising. We want to Start Talking about what this means for the future of consumer online services that have grown up in synergy with the ad-based business model: - Are we heading...

Online scams are becoming endemic and cybercriminals have a free run at consumers. New technology like AI can be weaponized to fake voices and faces, to learn even more about people’s behaviour and to ramp up the scale of fraud. Yet in enforcers and consumers’ hands AI can also lead the fight back, with for example, mass scale monitoring and automated takedowns of suspicious sites and links. This...

This month’s #StartTalking will explore innovations in synthetic, lab-grown meat and other alternative proteins in development and find out how it fits into the wider food revolution. Whether it’s health or environmental concerns that are driving new consumer new choices for plant-based alternatives to meat or even synthetic proteins, it’s clear that nothing is off the menu. Proponents argue cell-...

This month Start Talking will revisit ChatGPT and other generative AI systems with a two part webinar focusing on data, copyright and privacy. Part One: Data In We will look at the huge range of data that feeds generative AI training models. For creatives, how are their music, words and images used and what implications does this have for legal rights like copyright and for the future of the creat...

This month’s #StartTalking will explore how better information can help deliver a circular economy that makes the most of our planet’s limited resources and designs out waste. We’ll bring together key members of the CircThread project which has piloted the idea of digital product identities that provide vital information about appliances to support a lifetime of repair, replacement and recycling....

Food prices have been rising steadily since mid-2021. Today food price inflation in the EU/eurozone stands at over 15%, defying the overall drop in inflation to 6.9%. A recent Euroconsumers survey revealed that four in five consumers believe companies are taking advantage of the cost of living crisis for profit. Our members have found that products are shrinking and prices are rising. At the same...

All across the world, countries are striving for the joint prize of a green, sustainable economy and digitally-enabled prosperity and growth. In Europe this ‘twin transition’ is shaping economic and political priorities. Digitalisation and sustainability can both bring stability and opportunities, and together programmes like smart energy grids can deliver jobs, efficiency and eventually better pr...

Everyone is fascinated by ChatGPT - the latest impressive iteration of machine learning, which can deliver articulate and readable responses to natural language questions. It joins a burgeoning array of so-called ‘generative’ technologies, a form of Artificial Intelligence that can create its own images, text, speech or search. The possibilities are endless – and not just for obvious use cases lik...

The European Commission proposal for large online platforms to contribute more to the costs of internet infrastructure has again raised the question of how our online system is funded. Telcos have long argued that the costs they bear for providing services should be shared more fairly with giant global tech platforms. But intervening in a system which many say has proved its ability to deliver rel...

The influence economy is here. In the latest online market shift, marketing budgets are being directed towards social media stars with the biggest following and most ‘authentic’ connections. Influencers are making use of their reach and sway to make a living from promoting products or even developing their own. In October, Euroconsumers’ Start Talking Webinar will discover how the influencer econo...

It’s seven years since Dieselgate triggered a flurry of collective redress proceedings in Europe and saw the EU Representative Action Directive finally adopted. In 2021, over 110 class actions were filed across Europe, mostly targeted at tech companies. September’s edition of Euroconsumers’ Start Talking Webinar will dive into the future of private consumer enforcement and hear what’s needed for m...

A new, stronger Code of Practice on #Disinformation has just been published by the European Commission. Designed to mitigate the worst effects of disinformation and #deepfakes, it covers monetization through advertising, access for researchers and skilling up users to spot false news. What’s more, when the #DigitalServicesAct comes into force, the Code will be referred to as a way for the largest...

A new survey shows rising #inflation is forcing consumers to cut back spending on energy, food and travel. Many have no buffer to absorb more increases and no options for cutting back costs. Against this bleak outlook, what can be done to make things more bearable for #consumers today and tomorrow? At this month’s Start Talking webinar, Euroconsumers will get real with economists, consumer experts...

In a decade, our web experience could look very different. The #metaverse - a new network of virtual, interactive environments will mean consumers can shop, study, play and socialise via avatars. As the buzz around the metaverse grows louder, Euroconsumers will ask how we can keep these new, immersive spaces safe and fair for consumers. This month’s ‘Start Talking’ webinar will bring together some...

Cryptocurrencies could be the biggest technological disruption of the last decade. In the second of our ‘Start Talking’ monthly webinar series, Euroconsumers brings together a cross-section of people working in crypto to ask about: - Transformative opportunities for decentralized payment systems - Investment opportunities & taxation challenges - New ways to create value - Web3, Decentralised F...

“From age verification to copyright infringement: to preserve or not to preserve anonymity?” is the title of the first episode of Start Talking by Euroconsumers. In response to mounting pressure from activists, parents and regulators, there’s an ongoing discussion on placing main internet services behind stricter digital checks. The debate is open. Panel: - Marie-Paule Benassi, Consumer Affairs ac...