A draft regulation prohibiting geo-blocking—a form of internet censorship based on users’ location—by online traders and content publishers has been published by the European Commission.
Expected to be adopted in 2017, the new rules aim to stop EU traders discriminating against customers in other member states by denying them access to e-commerce sites or redirecting them to websites offering inferior goods or sales conditions.
Morrison & Foerster lawyer, Sue McLean, said that traders should review the technical features of their platforms, and their terms and conditions, to identify whether they discriminate against customers based on their nationality or place of residence/establishment.
The regulation does not require traders to deliver goods cross-border and will not apply to copyrighted content, financial services, transportation services, healthcare services or gambling.