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Ebay logo: Third-party providers behind the marketplace are rarely noticed
Photo: Monika Skolimowska / dpa
Germany's top consumer advocate, Klaus Müller, wants to make online marketplaces such as Amazon and Ebay more responsible for consumer protection in the future.
"Consumers say: I buy from the online marketplace and not: I buy from a supplier in China," said the head of the Federal Association of Consumers (vzbv) to the "Handelsblatt".
This prominent role of online marketplaces must also be reflected in their responsibility for the products offered.
"Online marketplaces must be liable for compliance with consumer rights if they exercise a dominant influence over the provider and do not take on sufficient duties of care," demanded Müller.
According to vzbv, the opportunity for this is offered by the Digital Services Act (DSA) of the EU Commission.
It aims to realign the legal framework for the digital economy in the European single market.
This includes, for example, a reform of the European Product Safety Directive.
It was "high time" to revise this guideline, said Müller to the "Handelsblatt".
Since it came into force in 2001, distribution channels and consumer preferences have fundamentally changed.
The directive must recognize the growing importance of online marketplaces for the import of unsafe and dangerous products.
"For this purpose, online marketplaces must be legally defined as actors in the supply chain and thus jointly responsible for the security of the products traded on their platform."
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