The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) carried out more than 130,000 checks last year, particularly relating to digital markets, according to its annual report presented on Monday.
In 2021, the regulatory authority carried out more than 16,000 checks on websites, i.e. 1,000 more than in 2019. “In accordance with our strategic plan, we are increasing our online presence”, indicated its general manager, Virginie Beaumeunier, during a conference this morning in Bercy.
While the fraud prevention department has been investigating the digital markets for a long time, it is implementing new methods of investigation and intelligence. “The enrichment of (investigative powers), especially in the digital sector, allows us to deepen our investigations and to fight against new practices harmful to consumers”, she added.
From commercial sites to social networks
The delisting of the Wish platform is undoubtedly one of the most significant decisions of 2021. “The investigation began in 2020 on a sampling campaign of 140 products”, relates Virginie Beaumeunier. “We asked them to do withdrawals and product recalls. Since the company did not comply, we used the new power to delist this platform. »
The delisting of the Wish platform marked a turning point for the DGCCRF, as it was the first time that a platform of this scale was delisted on search engines to protect consumers online. The e-commerce site is still banned in France to this day.
Faced with new consumer trends and online purchases, the regulatory authority no longer focuses solely on e-commerce sites, but wishes to extend its control to “social shopping”, evokes the general manager. The DGCCRF is taking a closer look at “the rise in sales by social networks and influencers, and probably tomorrow the metaverse”.
The DGCCRF thus makes influence marketing one of its priority areas of control. In 2021, the authority sanctioned influencer Nabilla Benattia-Vergara for the first time with a fine of 20,000 euros for misleading commercial practices. The internet star had promoted an online trading training site on Snapchat.
Ever-changing legislation
Virginie Beaumeunier also cited in her speech the contribution of the DGCCRF to the work on the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, voted last week in the European Parliament. These two European texts aim to regulate and supervise the largest digital platforms, and guarantee safer purchasing conditions for consumers, among other things.
Finally, the DGCCRF intends to deepen its investigations in the reconditioning sector since the publication at the beginning of the year of a decree which defines the nature of a reconditioned good. “At first, we investigated in an exploratory way. Now we will be able to carry out more precise checks,” promises Virginie Beaumeunier.
She adds that the same goes for the control of repairability indices and the verification of the availability of spare parts, in the case of smartphones and laptops in particular.