As the European Union works on regulations that will impact online platforms and digital services, the head of eBay met with EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton.
eBay CEO Jamie Iannone met the Commissioner virtually last week, and posted on social media, “Thank you Commissioner Thierry Breton for a great discussion on the platform economy. We hope the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act will further empower EU citizens and small- and medium-sized enterprises to use online platforms like eBay to reap the full potential of the digital economy.”
In a post today (January 19th), eBay Government Relations said Iannone shared information about the company’s efforts to ensure users are protected online and reiterated its support for a balanced and workable regulatory framework that would promote both a safe platform environment and innovation.
“The discussion was cordial, constructive and fruitful as it rapidly became clear that eBay and the European Commission have common objectives: ensuring user safety and empowering SMEs at the same time,” eBay wrote in Tuesday’s blog post.
One of Breton’s responsibilities as European Commissioner for Internal Market is “leading on a new Digital Services Act to reinforce the single market for digital services, clarify obligations of online platforms, and give smaller businesses legal clarity and a level playing field.”
The European Commission states on its website that the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) will create a safer and more open digital space, with European values at its center.
It describes the two main goals of the DSA and DMA as the following:
- To create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected;
- To establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.
The European Commission further defines the goals of the DSA as follows:
- Better protect consumers and their fundamental rights online.
- Establish a powerful transparency and a clear accountability framework for online platforms.
- Foster innovation, growth and competitiveness within the single market.
eBay said Iannone’s meeting with Breton earlier this month was part of its efforts to engage in a constructive dialogue with the EU institutions to contribute to the policy debate, in particular amplifying the voice of eBay-enabled SMEs. “We exist to drive economic opportunity for individuals and entrepreneurs, and therefore our objective is to ensure the policy framework takes their needs into account.”
What was there to meet about?
eBay 2021 meets NONE of those goals or rules.
eBays MP program removes small sellers rights to use anyone they see fit to process credit cards, forces eBays own goals on sellers (eBay is not part of ANY sellers company) in areas like returns, and eBay plays fast and loose with things like listing practices and openly ignores fake merchandise on its site.
SOMEONE needs to drop them a letter (the EU commission) …..