The EU Commission has just published the results of the study on transparency in online platforms.
The research has confirmed with empirical evidences that transparency is a precious value in today’s online transactions:
“70% said that the information about criteria for presenting search results was important in their decision and made them more confident and trusting;
67.9% and 69.9% respectively agreed that the information about contractual identity and its implications was important in their decision and made them more confident and trusting;
83.9% and 85.9% respectively reported that the information about who is included in user reviews was important in their decision and made them more confident and trusting”
Transparency is a key factor not only to consumers, but to platforms as well: to provide information users need in a clear way increases the trust in the platform and, as a consequence, attracts more potential clients.
The empirical study underlined the importance of raising consumers’ awareness about the identity of the counterparty and its legal implications in terms of available remedies. The study called for the need of a “design-based regulation to build regulatory standards into the design of the system being regulated”.