The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Compensation for the app disaster? New guideline is coming - and helping users

2021-12-25T21:38:14.104Z


Compensation for the app disaster? New guideline is coming - and helping users Created: 12/25/2021, 10:19 PM From: Anna Lehmer Woman with smartphone in hand (symbol picture) © picture alliance / dpa | Fabian Sommer Software and digital services are part of everyday life - but they are often stressful. The digital content directive is now intended to strengthen consumer rights. Berlin - stream


Compensation for the app disaster?

New guideline is coming - and helping users

Created: 12/25/2021, 10:19 PM

From: Anna Lehmer

Woman with smartphone in hand (symbol picture) © picture alliance / dpa |

Fabian Sommer

Software and digital services are part of everyday life - but they are often stressful.

The digital content directive is now intended to strengthen consumer rights.

Berlin - streaming services, smartphones, apps and Co .: A life without “devices” and digital services is hardly imaginable.

Faults and non-functioning updates can therefore quickly become a major annoyance.

A new law, which will come into force in 2022, aims to take these problems away from consumers.

The digital content directive includes stronger warranty rights and an update obligation for companies.

New law 2022: Digital content directive for the benefit of the consumer

Everyone knows technical problems: The film does not play, the update makes the application worse or the Instagram feed could not be loaded.

The law scheduled for 2022 is intended to alleviate the consequences of these digital ailments.

As the federal government explains on its homepage, there are a few things to consider when it comes to the innovations.

Digital content guideline: changes necessary

People's everyday lives have been digitalising more and more for years.

According to the federal government, this trend has been intensified by the pandemic.

After other EU member states had already passed laws on consumer contracts for digital products, Germany was forced to introduce contractual provisions as well.

In this way, a uniformly high level of consumer protection should be created throughout the European Union, it says on the homepage.

New guideline: Entrepreneurs must provide fault-free services

The regulations anchored in the law will apply to all consumer contracts.

The type of contract does not matter, only what is provided by the company has to be taken into account.

The range of digital content such as software and e-books as well as digital services (social networks such as WhatsApp and video streaming) will be made safer for consumers in the future.

The providers are obliged to provide fault-free services.

Consumers, on the other hand, will receive comprehensive warranty rights from 2022.

Directive obliges entrepreneurs to provide supplementary performance

In concrete terms, this means for the consumer: If a defect occurs in the digital product, he is entitled to supplementary performance.

The company must then immediately remedy the defect by improving the product or making it available again.

In addition, the consumer can terminate the contract and also use the right to reduce the price.

If the problem is not resolved, claims for damages and reimbursement of expenses are possible.

So if a software or app no ​​longer works or if it shows significant deficiencies, consumers can claim their rights from the provider.

“The guarantee period is a minimum of two years,” writes the federal government.

Consumers are entitled to updates

Another innovation concerns updates to digital products.

In the future, companies will have to provide function-retaining updates and security updates.

In this way, the products purchased by the consumer can remain functional and protected from security breaches.

This update obligation is limited in time for the company.

You only have to guarantee the updates within a certain availability and usage period.

These digital products are affected by the law

In addition, the federal government provides information about which digital products are affected by the newly passed law. The digital content guideline relates to the provision of databases, cloud services, platform offers and social media. This also includes web applications, media downloads and digital television services. The new law also includes e-mail or messenger services, DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and memory cards as well as the provision of certain electronic files as part of the 3D printing of goods.

A particular advantage for consumers is that the Digital Content Directive applies not only to consumer contracts for which a specific price has been paid, but also to those for which the users provide personal data.

With social media and apps, for example, consumers often have to register with their name, date of birth, etc. - even with this type of "payment", users should in future be legally protected by law.

The digital content directive also has disadvantages

At first glance, the Digital Content Directive has many advantages for consumers, but there is one catch. In the entire text of the law, there is always talk of "entrepreneur", which means the seller, but not necessarily the manufacturer. As

Ökotest.de

reports, this is a big problem for retailers in particular. If a defect occurs in the digital product, the seller, who has no influence whatsoever on the product, must ask his supplier to rectify the defect. This can quickly become difficult in the technology sector.

A major security incident occurred in Saxony a few days ago: the state had software checked for a serious security flaw.

The messenger service WhatsApp, on the other hand, is currently struggling with its controversial competitor.

He is probably planning a unique feature: never spoil again.

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2021-12-25

You may like

News/Politics 2024-03-06T11:46:41.561Z

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.