As the 06 March 2024 deadline for the Digital Markets Act approached, the High-Level Roundtable on Making the Digital Markets Act Work for Consumers convened by the Lisbon Council gathered experts from government, businesses and associations to explore the nuanced implementation of choice screens, a crucial aspect of the Digital Markets Act framework. The success of this regulatory measure, which requires companies to offer users options through these screens, depended on the challenge of translating clear principles such as informed choice and ease of use into tangible consumer empowerment rather than bureaucratic formalities.
Esra Ozkan, lead of user experience and director of the Choice Lab at Alphabet Inc. who shared insights on using cutting-edge technologies such as advanced computational intelligence to improve the user experience while meeting regulatory requirements. Vanessa Turner, senior advisor on competition at BEUC, the European Consumers Organisation, presented practical recommendations on choice screens based on recent research, highlighting the consumer perspective and the impact of choice screens on decision-making. Lucia Bonova, head of the digital platforms unit at the European Commission, provided a contextual background to the strategic objectives of the Digital Markets Act.
The roundtable was dedicated to unravelling the intricacies of interface design, user behaviour and meaningful choice, providing practical guidance for navigating the regulatory landscape while prioritising user empowerment.