ROUN UNDTABL ABLE Smart t Consumer umers: s: Wh What at empo empowerm ermen ent t from om Dig igit ital al Tools? ls? Bruss ussels, Tuesda esday y 10th th July
Interne net t use in in Europ ope
Internet use % of individuals who used the Internet in the last 12 months (2017) 100 90 80 70 ✓ As of the beginning of 2017, 60 50 85% of all individuals in the 40 30 EU-28 used the Internet in 20 the last 12 months. 10 0 Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Netherlands United Kingdom Finland Belgium Estonia France Austria Czech Republic Spain EU-28 Slovakia Ireland Latvia Cyprus Malta Slovenia Lithuania Hungary Poland Portugal Italy Greece Romania Croatia Bulgaria Germany Daily Internet usage, 2017 (% of individuals) 100 90 ✓ 80 In 2017, close to three 70 quarters (72%) of individuals 60 50 in the EU-28 accessed the 40 30 internet on a daily basis to 20 10 work, study, shop or stay 0 connected. Denmark Luxembourg Netherlands Sweden Finland United Kingdom Estonia Belgium Malta Cyprus Austria EU-28 Ireland France Latvia Spain Hungary Slovakia Czech Republic Italy Slovenia Lithuania Portugal Poland Greece Croatia Bulgaria Romania Germany 3 Source: Eurostat
Source: Eurostat 100 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 The main Internet activities 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 ✓ 0 Denmark Denmark Belgium (54%) . by search of information about goods and services (65%) and participation in social networking One of the most common online activities in the EU-28 in 2017 was the use of e-mails (72%) followed Netherlands Sweden Luxembourg Participating in social networks - Facebook or Twitter (% of United… Sweden Malta Finland Sending/receiving e-mails (% of individuals, 2017) Luxembourg United Kingdom Netherlands Germany Finland Belgium Hungary Czech Republic Cyprus Estonia Estonia Austria individuals, 2017) Latvia France Slovakia EU-28 Ireland Slovakia Spain Latvia Portugal Hungary EU-28 Ireland Lithuania Slovenia Spain Romania Malta Germany Lithuania Austria Poland Greece Portugal Bulgaria Italy Czech… Greece Poland Cyprus Croatia Croatia Slovenia Bulgaria France Romania Italy 100 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 0 Netherlands Denmark Finland Finding information about goods and services (% of individuals, 2017) Cyprus Sweden Sweden Germany Luxembourg Luxembourg Lithuania Telephoning or video calls (% of individuals, 2017) Denmark Bulgaria United Kingdom United Kingdom Estonia Germany Belgium Slovakia Czech Republic Hungary Ireland Malta Malta Netherlands Slovenia Estonia France Latvia EU-28 Croatia Hungary Belgium Austria EU-28 Spain Ireland Lithuania Austria Cyprus Slovenia Portugal Czech Republic Croatia Finland Slovakia Romania Poland Greece Latvia Poland Greece Portugal 4 Bulgaria Spain Italy France Romania Italy
E-commerce ✓ Millions of European consumers use online platforms (e.g. search engines, social media, e-commerce platforms, app stores, price comparison websites) to access goods and services and these platforms enable consumers to find online information and businesses to exploit the advantages of e-commerce . ✓ In 2017, the share of individuals in the EU-28 who used any website or app to buy online during the preceding 12 months stood at 57% . This proportion ranged from 82% in the United Kingdom to 16% in Romania % of individuals purchasing online in the last 12 months (2017) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 5 Source: Eurostat
Being digital in Europe in 2018 Million Growth (right axis) 1200 15% 1000 800 10% 600 400 5% 200 0 0% Mobile connection Internet users Social media users Mobile social users ✓ Internet and digital technologies have been influencing the habits and daily life of Europeans. The impact of these technologies cannot be understated, and reach almost all aspects of society: access to information, communication, work, trade, and the interaction of Europeans with each other, with businesses and with public institutions. Because of the changes wrought by the Internet and digital technologies, European institutions now need to address new issues, including data protection, better access to digital goods and services for all Europeans, and respect for consumer’s rights on the Internet. (EU Commission, “Online platforms” Report, 2016) 6
The Omni-channel approach ➢ The digital revolution has changed the habits and needs of consumers that want to interact with companies through tools such as instant messaging and chatbots. Therefore, companies that wish to survive in this environment must necessarily change their business model to meet the new demands. Big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning are improving the service experience and helping companies to become the perfect partner. ➢ An important role in this context is played by: • the social network • self-caring tools ( App or web self-service portals) • Chatbots Active users of key social platforms Communication channel used by consumers FACEBOOK YOUTUBE 70% FB MESSENGER WHATSAPP WECHAT 60% QQ INSTAGRAM 50% TUMBLR QZONE SINA WEIBO 40% TWITTER SKYPE BAIDU TIEBA 30% VIBER LINKEDIN 20% SNAPCHAT REDDIT LINE 10% PINTEREST YY 0% TELEGRAM VKONTAKTE BBM KAKAOTALK 0 500 1000 1500 2000 7 2500 Source: State of chatbots 2018; Digital in 2018
EU pla lans s to o regula late on onli line pla latf tforms orms and d searc rch h engin ines
European Commission's initiatives Online platforms (e.g. search engines, social media, e-commerce platforms, app stores, price comparison websites) provide opportunities for innovation and growth in the Digital Single Market but, at the same time, they could pose significant challenges to consumer protection and market competition . Today, 1 million EU businesses are already selling goods and services via online platforms, and more than 50% of small and medium enterprises selling through online marketplaces sell cross-border. For 2017, the European Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce turnover was forecasted to reach around € 602 billion, at a growth rate of nearly 14% (Source: EU Commission). The European Commission drafted various proposals to foster an environment in which online platforms thrive, where consumers are protected whilst competition is enhanced. ➢ Communication “Online Platforms and the Digital Single Market - Opportunities and Challenges for Europe” (2016) ➢ Mid-term review of the Digital Single Market strategy ➢ Recommendation on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online (2018) ➢ New Deal for Consumers (2018) ➢ Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services (2018) 9
Communication “Online Platforms and the Digital Single Market - Opportunities and Challenges for Europe” In the 2016 Communication “ Online Platforms and the Digital Single Market - Opportunities and Challenges for Europe ” , it is stated that the “ future internet cannot succeed without the trust of users in online platforms, and without online platforms respecting all applicable legislation and the legitimate interests of consumers and other users ” . This Communication identifies the following guiding policy principles: A level playing field for comparable digital services Ensuring that online platforms behave responsibly to protect core values Fostering trust, transparency and ensuring fairness Keeping markets open and non-discriminatory, to foster a data-driven economy 10
Measures to tackle illegal content online In the mid-term review of the Digital Single Market strategy , two principal follow-up actions specifically concerned online platforms : 1. to ensure better platform dialogue coordination within the Digital Single Market focusing on the mechanisms and technical solutions for the removal of illegal content, in order to enhance their effectiveness in fully respecting fundamental rights; 2. to prepare actions to address the issues of unfair contractual clauses and trading practices identified in platform-to-business relationships, including exploring dispute resolution, fair practice criteria and transparency. To ensure transparency and consumer protection in online platforms on 1 March 2018, the Commission issued a Recommendation on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online . This Recommendation builds on an earlier Communication on " tackling illegal content online, towards enhanced responsibility of online platforms ", adopted on 28 September 11 2017 .
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