Have your say on geo-blocking and the role of online platforms

Today the European Commission is launching a public debate with two consultations: one on geo-blocking and the other one on platforms, online intermediaries, data, cloud computing and the collaborative economy.

The views expressed and information gathered will help the Commission assess the need for, or prepare initiatives as part of the Digital Single Market Strategy and the Internal Market Strategy for Goods and Services.

• The consultation on geo-blocking and other forms of geographically-based restrictions will gather opinions on unjustified commercial barriers which prevent the buying and selling of products and services within the EU. It covers, for example, customers who are charged different prices or offered a different range of goods depending on where they live. It does not cover copyright-protected content and content-licensing practices.

• The second consultation launched today will look at the economic role of online platforms, which include search engines, social media, video-sharing websites, app stores, etc. It will also explore the liability of intermediaries as regards illegal content hosted online and how to improve the free flow of data in the EU and to build a European Cloud. It will look as well into the possibilities and potential issues raised by the rise of the collaborative economy.

Andrus Ansip, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said: "Platforms play an increasingly important role in our lives. Platforms are part of a thriving digital economy butquestions are also raised about their transparency and use of content. Geo-blocking too often reroutes or blocks consumers based on their nationality or place of residence; this is not helpful for fostering e-commerce since it frustrates the consumers, and it is even less helpful for increasing cross-border e-commerce which is to the benefit of both consumers and businesses. We will now embark on an evidence gathering exercise for both these important issues for a well-functioning Digital Single Market."

Günther H. Oettinger, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, said: "Internet platforms have many beneficial effects on the economy. But we need a deeper understanding of the role that they play and of the way they interact with other businesses and with consumers. We also need to understand more about unjustified geo-blocking which is one of the most visible manifestations of non-Europe in e-commerce in the Digital Single Market."

Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: "These consultations will provide important evidence for our reflections on how to 'upgrade' our single market to make the most of the digital economy and foster innovation and new business models such as the collaborative economy, and put an end to unjustified discrimination of consumers in the internal market."

The Commission wants to hear from citizens, manufacturers, retailers (especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), right holders, data and cloud service providers and users, as well as all those involved in the collaborative economy.

Both consultations will run until late December 2015 (for a 12-week period starting on the date on when consultations texts are published in all official languages).

Public consultation on the regulatory environment for platforms, online intermediaries, data and cloud computing and the collaborative economy

Public consultation on Geo-Blocking and other geographically-based restrictions when shopping and accessing information in the EU