Consumers in the Digital Single Market

Consumers and SMEs are at the centre of the European project. They are the engine of the EU economy. The digital revolution and technologies are transforming the economy and social relations across the world, posing unprecedented policy and regulatory challenges, and undermining existing legal frameworks and principles. The technological curve has gone up steeply with the development of disruptive artificial intelligence, data lakes and databases, distribution ledgers, algorithms and other intelligent systems that make use of big data as their essential fuel. Likewise, business models have changed accordingly, with the raise of digital platforms and boost of e-commerce. The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the increase of pace of the digital economic model. In just a year, it has shown the importance of digital products and service for individuals, alongside the acceleration of the pre-existing emerging economic model. Digital technologies have become essential for working, learning, entertaining, socialising, shopping and accessing all sort of services. At the same time, the sudden outburst of the pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of the digital space, including its dependencies on large global providers. The digital technologies and models place public policy and law making at a crossroad. Digitalisation presents opportunities and risks for the European economy and market. Consumers and SMEs are particularly involved and affected. Fundamental rights .and other economic rights are involved. Within the process of digitalisation, the EU Digital Single Market attempts to remove regulatory barriers and move from national markets to a single EU market.