Information Society
Information Communications Technologies (ICT) products and services - such as mobile phones and the Internet - play an increasingly essential role in consumers everyday lives, from shopping on-line to listening to music. However, although they have the potential to improve consumer welfare by making a greater range of products and services available, new technologies pose several challenges in terms of protection of traditional consumer rights in an on-line environment such as private data protection and of accessibility by most vulnerable consumers such as elderly people. As a consequence, it is essential that the ICT standardisation processes, both formal and non-formal, ensure full and effective consumer participation in order to take consumer requirements into account.
ICT Priorities
The ANEC ICT Working Group identified the following areas as ANEC’s main priorities in the Information Society sector for the coming years.
1. E-accessibility and e-inclusion
The European Commission e-Inclusion Communication, published in November 2007, recognised that there was strong evidence that voluntary mainstreaming of accessibility in goods and services had not led to significant progress and, in particular, that the market had failed to ensure the accessibility of ICT products and services consumers expect. ANEC believes that the adoption of mandatory rules needs to be assessed. Binding legislation and standards should be seen as complementary instruments as the legislation should set accessibility requirements with the standards setting specific technical requirements.
This is the main message voiced in two joint ANEC/EDF positions papers on eAccessibility from December 2007 and on web and eAccessibility legislation from July 2008. In February 2009, ANEC and EDF decided to join forces with AGE, the European Older People’s Platform, in order to reiterate the call for eAccessibility legislation (AGE/ANEC/EDF joint position on EC communication on eAccessibility).
2. Electronic communications networks and services
All consumers should be able to participate in the Information Society and reap its benefits. The EU rules for e-Communications therefore provide a regulatory framework supporting universal service requirements based on access to the public telephone network. However, the growth of internet-based services, such as Voice over Internet, represents a challenge for regulators. It is therefore to be expected that the role of standardisation will increase in order to ensure that consumers interests such as safety, quality of service and accessibility are adequately guaranteed in the new environment.
3. eRecognition
Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), exponentially increase the possibilities of tracing and tracking consumers. The multiplication of authentification and authorisation mechanisms - such as readers and contact-less cards – is everywhere, from the workplace to public transports networks. ANEC believes there is a need for private data handling to be performed in a clear, legal and standardised framework and with absolute respect for individual privacy and accessibility (see section below on RFID).
4. Enhancing consumer involvement in ICT standardisation
According to the European Commission White Paper, issued in 2009 to consult stakeholders on the future of its ICT standardisation policy, a more integrated approach between European Standards Organisations (ESOs) and informal fora and consortia is suggested to modernise ICT standardisation in Europe. However, ANEC is worried that the use of informal standards will preclude the public interest from being reflected in the development of specifications to support Information Society policy issues.
It is essential for ANEC that the European ICT standardisation is an open, transparent and consensus-driven process, which allows all stakeholders to participate and so safeguard that their interests are taken into account in future standardisation policies and processes, both formal and informal.
ANEC is represented in:
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CEN TC 224 – Machine-readable Cards
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CEN TC 225 ad hoc group on RFID
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CENELEC TC 106x electromagnetic fields
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CENELEC TC 108x safety of audio-video equipment
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ETSI TC Human Factors
In the spotlight:
Opting-in into consumer protection
 On 12 May 2009, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation on privacy and security aspects of RFID which implements the “opt-in” principle. Hence the Commission backed ANEC’s long-standing request for consumers not to be obliged to ask for RFID tags on a product to be deactivated in order to avoid tracking or profiling (opt-in regime). Deactivation must be done by default if consumers are to trust commercial use of RFID. ANEC was also pleased with the Recommendation’s provision calling for a unified RFID sign to be developed by the European Standards Organisations as we believe consumers should be told of the presence of an RFID tag by an understandable sign, accessible to all consumers.
The European Commission also issued a standardisation mandate to request the European Standards Organisations to develop standards on data protection, privacy and information security aspects of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications. ANEC was able to influence the content of the mandate as far as “privacy by design” is concerned with the results of a 2007 research study on RFID standards, commissioned by ANEC, (see under Research and Testing section).
In July 2009, ANEC welcomed the European Commission Communication on the ‘Internet of things - An action plan for Europe’ as it fully takes on board consumer demands that the “Internet of Things (IoT)” is an “Internet for people”. Internet of Things is a paradigm where novel applications combine mainly wireless, physical objects that can be located and can communicate with each other. ANEC, which has been working jointly with BEUC on this issue, believes that the Internet of Things needs to be built in such a way as to ensure easy and safe user control. Consumers need confidence to fully embrace the Internet of Things in order to enjoy its potential benefits and avoid any risks to their security and privacy.
In June 2010, the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on Internet of Things in response to the European Commission Communication of 18 June 2009 on the "Internet of Things – An action plan for Europe" (COM(2009) 278final).
ANEC welcomed very much the Resolution as MEPs expressly call for the European Commission to further assess many of ANEC’s requests such as the impact on health of radio waves and other means of enabling identification technologies; the right to "chip silence", which provides empowerment and user control and the environmental impact of the chips and of their recycling, among others.
In addition, the Parliament stressed that “the consumer has the right to privacy by opt-in and/or privacy by design, notably through the use of automatic tag disablement at the point of sale, unless the consumer expressly agrees otherwise” (section 16). And that it “Believes that the IoT encompasses many benefits for people with disabilities and may be a way to meet the needs of an ageing population and provide assertive care services”.
"Pump down the volume!"
 Young consumers frequently listen to music by using personal music players and radio communication devices including such a facility. It is essential to ensure that these devices do not cause quantifiable health risks, in particular unforeseen hearing loss or hearing impairment.
In April 2008, ANEC commented on the draft international safety standard for IT and Audio/Video equipment (IEC 108/276/CDV) noting that the sound level of 118dBA – to 125dBA for long term exposure (>0,5s) is extremely high but below the barrier of pain. A sound pressure at such high level (118 dBA – 125dBA) can result in hearing damage and even hearing loss. The requirements of a safety standard should avoid such injuries.
The draft standard also proposed that equipment instructions should require a general warning along with a warning label on the product. However, ANEC believes that the users of portable sound systems are often children or young adults who often do not understand or respond well to cautionary advice. Hence in order to protect the users of portable sound systems from hearing damage, a technical limitation of sound pressure is necessary.
ANEC’s position is confirmed by scientists who conclude that 5-10% of personal music players listeners risk permanent hearing loss within 5 years due to the excessive use of personal music player. ANEC called for sound levels to be limited by default settings in personal music players at a European Commission conference held on 27 January 2009 in Brussels. ANEC also proposed that the role of headphones and insert earpieces earphones in protecting consumers should be better assessed. For example, the anti-noise function, of noise-cancelling headphones can allow consumers to enjoy listening to music at lower sound levels without losing the “groove” (ANEC position paper on the Safety of Music Players).
In June 2009, the European Commission issued a standardisation mandate to develop and revise standards for the safety of personal music players (PMPs). Although ANEC supports the mandate, as it reflects our request to have safe sound limits by default, we believe two types of sound limit are needed (one absolute, the other time dependent). In addition to limits related to time-exposure, ANEC asks for a sound limit of 89 dB(A) to be the maximum permitted by default in PMPs, with secured access to a second maximum of 100 dB(A). In the case of PMPs designed to appeal to children, we wish to see the maximum sound level to be fixed below a level where the probability of risking hearing loss is considered negligible. (please see our one pager on PMPs and our leaflet on PMPs)
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