On December 3, new rules obliging retailers to give shoppers the same access to goods and services wherever they are in the EU become applicable. The practice is called geo-blocking and within the EU, it is coming to an end.

technology

EU politics

mass media

consumer protection

DSM (Digital Single Market)

Geo-blocking and online shopping

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16996470/N01-PUB-181203-GEOB-EN.srt

It's that time of the year again, when you head to the shops 

to buy presents for family and friends... 

Or maybe, like the 57% of Europeans who bought something online in 2017, 

you have decided to buy gifts over the internet this year. 

Ahhh, the perfect present for Uncle Erik in Stockholm...

Denial of access to goods and services online because of your location

And as of December 3 rules ending the practice are applicable. 

Imagine, being in Belgium, you want to buy blue jeans from a Romanian website. 

You are being redirected to your Belgian website, 

 Now you will not be redirected any more. 

For your own use, you can buy those jeans from cheaper websites 

in different countries and nobody will prohibit you to do so. 

Geo-blocking is not the only form of online discrimination covered by the rules. 

Not accepting credit cards from other EU countries 

and not being able to register on a website based on where you live 

And the legislation applies to a wide range of goods and services, 

such as domestic appliances, online services like web domain hosting

 and entertainment tickets for concerts or theme parks. 

you'll no longer have any excuses for not finding the perfect present 