Consumers deficiency cognition in the planet of fresh digital opportunities

Maciej Witucki, president of the Lewiatan Confederation's Main Council, beginning the conference, he highlighted the request for digital deregulation. "We are digitally educated, but Europe remains over-regulated. It would be good if proposals for deregulation were coming out of our country. The consumer functions present in a reality burdened with excessive regulation, and our task is to guarantee its safety," he stressed.

Daniel Mańkowski, Vice president of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection, He said that we are dealing with old, well-known consumers, but functioning present in a completely fresh digital world. Digitalization has changed everything – purchases take place with 1 click and the consumer is increasingly looking at the screen alternatively of the conventional store shelf.

– Digital opportunities have digital consequences, including complicated rules. Changes are inevitable and consumer protection must so face fresh challenges. It is crucial to reconcile innovation with security," he added.

“Technology will always make faster than the law, so in the work of the UOKiK it is peculiarly crucial to prepare appropriate regulations, to usage fresh tools, including artificial intelligence, and to educate consumers to be aware of the risks. We request to make a strategy adapted to everyone. We request modern digital tools, and developing solutions based on AI is crucial. As an office, we are working hard on this. There is besides a request for a permanent dialog for effective consumer protection," concluded Daniel Manńkowski.

Michał Grammar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Digital Affairs, argued that investing in innovation would be pointless if the State-citizen relation was not based on trust. As an example, he pointed out the application mCicietel, which – as he pointed out – works very well just due to the built trust between users and the state. Trust and sensible regulation are needed to implement akin systems. Unfortunately, politics frequently destroys good solutions," said Michał Grammar.

The conference besides presented the AQUILA study "Investigation of consumer claims in Poland and state of enforcement in this area". Its authors have presented respective recommendations, which can be implemented by the consumer protection system. They highlight, among another things, the request to: review and systematise the competences of offices, specify their relation and responsibilities, introduce measurable performance indicators for each institution, or guarantee real coordination of the system, so that the activities of all institutions are consistent.

The study besides proposes to revise consumer protection rules and prepare the essential amendments, preferably by setting up an expert squad following the pattern of the Codification Commission, to make a parliamentary committee or a consumer sub-committee to improve the legislative process, to regularly examine the effectiveness of consumer rights enforcement and to introduce a single data collection strategy or to strengthen consumer education, focusing on applicable skills and modern, proven tools alternatively of giving dry theories.

During Panel "Strengthen the system, strengthen the consumer" participants discussed how the current consumer protection strategy meets the real needs of both citizens and entrepreneurs. It besides wondered whether a improvement could be made more transparent, efficient and accessible.

The conference program besides included topics specified as: Accessibility Act – how do you do it right?, fresh rules of the digital world: Digital Fairness Act and the future of e-commerce and influencer marketing and consumer credit.

Confederation of Leviathan