On the occasion of this month's G20 summit in Hamburg, the consumer organization Consumers International (CI) has welcomed the official G20 declaration with respect to consumer protection in the digital economy. The declaration was perceived to reveal a clear commitment to consumer protection in the key areas of data protection and privacy, security as well as e-commerce. In this regard, it apparently complements proposals set out by the G20 Consumer Summit in March and the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Conference in April this year.
The declaration contains the following central points:
- The G20 Roadmap for Digitalization will provide a framework for dealing with digital technologies. According to the G20 declaration, trust in these technologies requires an effective consumer protection, intellectual property rights, transparency and security in the use of information and communication technology (ICT).
- The objective is to guarantee a secure ICT environment in which all sectors can equally enjoy its benefits and gain from collectively addressing security issues in the use of ICTs.
- Considering the digital transformation as a driving force of global, innovative and sustainable growth, it is essential to overcome digital divides in terms of income, age, geography and gender.
- Therefore, some central areas for political action are to promote digital literacy and skills in education and life-long learning as well as acknowledging ICTs in order to make public administration more efficient.
Amanda Long, Director General of Consumers International, commented: "The G20 have made real progress this year in recognizing the importance of building a digital economy consumers can trust. Our challenge now is to put these commitments into practice – a challenge that will require a willingness to work across traditional ideas of government, business and civil society to find solutions that make a real difference for consumers in a fast-moving global digital world."
Source: Consumers International
More information and the G20 declaration