Consumer-friendly consent management initiative
ConPolicy initiates dialogue process for good practices for cookie consent
In practice, cookie consent on websites and in digital services is often anything but consumer-friendly and is sometimes obtained in a legally dubious manner. Such practices are also known as 'dark patterns' and 'deceptive designs'.
Against this background, ConPolicy has initiated a good practice initiative on cookie consent with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV), which is to be classified in the context of the BMJV CDR initiative as a thematic forum on consumer-friendly consent management.
Together with German and European stakeholders, a collection of good practices and recommendations for action on consumer-friendly, legally secure and practicable cookie consent is to be developed. Another goal of the initiative is to inform consumers about how they can recognize consumer-friendly consent management systems.
The results of the initiative are to be presented in summer 2022.
Further information on the project can be found here.
Role of technology for consumer empowerment
ConPolicy presents at an international event hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection
Today, the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection hosted an international online conference on consumer protection in the digital age. The Conference was co-organized with the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection with support by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The conference addressed the question of how consumers can best benefit from the impacts of digitalization and how to best protect them against risks to their safety, privacy and self-determination.
ConPolicy-Executive Director, Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun, presented a speech about the question of how technologies could and should be used to empower consumers. His key conclusions were:
Consumer-enabling technologies (CETs) should be one strategic element to empower consumers.
However, they do not replace market regulation and “classical offline” empowerment strategies. CETs should be considered complementary.
The potential of CETs is by far not yet leveraged.
CETs can empower consumers directly or indirectly via market authorities and consumer organizations.
Governments should have a strategy to support the development of CETs and invest in research and development in this field.
Online event for companies, municipalities and interested parties
With a nudge to more sustainability – Chances and limits of nudging
Nudging, that is, small impulses to encourage behavioral changes. In the joint project 'Green Nudging' by SAENA, energiekonsens, ConPolicy and KliBa, nudges are currently being tested in companies to trigger climate-friendly behavior. Can this approach help? What are the limits of nudging? How much influence should employers have on their employees' behavior? Is nudging manipulative?
During a virtual discussion round with speakers from science and business, we aim to clarify these and other. We would like to cordially invite you to follow the discussion or to actively participate in it. The event with the title 'With a nudge to more sustainability – Opportunities and limits of nudging' will take place on October 10, 2021, from 10:00 to 11:30 am.
If we have piqued your curiosity, you can get more information and register for the event here.
Publication and presentation of the study at a conference
Recommendations for action for sustainable public catering in NRW: ConPolicy study published
On the occasion of the conference 'Sustainable public catering in NRW' of the consumer center of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a federal state within Germany, the study "Paths to a sustainable public catering in North Rhine-Westphalia" conducted by ConPolicy was published. During the conference, Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun presented the main results of the study in a forum and then moderated the discussion of the recommendations.
The study first highlights selected good practice examples of sustainable public catering, e.g. in schools or public canteens, in other cities and federal states. Based on an analysis of the specific framework conditions in NRW, recommendations for a (more) sustainable public catering in NRW are derived. It is recommended to initiate a dialogue process on sustainable nutrition to develop a nutrition strategy for NRW. Furthermore, it is recommended to initiate concrete implementation structures for municipalities: Regional competence centers for sustainable procurement and value creation, a state program for organic cities in NRW and a consulting organization for sustainable catering.
As part of the discussion forum 'Political strategies for sustainable public catering in NRW', the recommendations were discussed and enriched with further ideas. Overall, there was agreement that a political framework, e.g. through a nutrition strategy, is needed in order to successfully promote sustainable public catering in NRW.
More information about the project can be found here.
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