Combatting Consumer Discrimination in the Digital Single Market: Preventing Geo-Blocking and other Forms of Geo-Discrimination

Studie 15-08-2016

The paper conducts a stocktaking exercise of the state of play in the DSM and offers a critical assessment of the most relevant initiatives to combat consumer discrimination. It gives an overview of discriminatory practices in the online environment and assesses the magnitude of the problem. Differences between justified and unjustified geo-blocking are discussed. An in-depth analysis of the EC proposals on geo-blocking, portability and parcel delivery and the DG COMP investigation into the distribution of audiovisual content is then performed. This document was prepared by Policy Department A at the request of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.