Dóra Dávid (EPP) and Isabelle Pérignon (DG JUST) notably clashed during the European Parliament’s IMCO committee meeting on January 26, 2026, over the design and scope of the Digital Fairness Act (DFA). Dávid questioned whether the DFA would take a regulatory or directive form, voicing concerns about potential national fragmentation without harmonisation, while Pérignon remained non-committal pending an impact assessment but acknowledged the goal of harmonizing rules across the EU. Meanwhile, Pablo Arias Echeverría (EPP) and Laura Ballarín Cereza (S&D) pushed for stronger, unified measures against manipulative digital practices targeting minors, including addictive design elements and covert advertising—which Pérignon confirmed remain under evaluation. The debate captured a broader cleavage around increasing versus maintaining the current level of EU regulatory powers to tackle digital consumer protection and AI-related risks.
This session, held at the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO), also involved discussions on SME late payment regulation and enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) concerning AI-generated sexualised content on platforms such as TikTok, X, and Grok.
Isabelle Pérignon outlined that the DFA’s legal format (regulation vs. directive) remains open and emphasized harmonization to address fragmented national laws like France’s influencer rules. Marie-Hélène Pradines (DG GROW) pressed for a shift from directive to regulation on late payments to provide SMEs with stronger, harmonized enforcement, citing 75% of SMEs suffering severe impacts. Prabhat Agarwal (DG CONNECT) detailed ongoing DSA enforcement actions, naming investigations into major platforms and explaining procedural delays influenced by antitrust frameworks.
In contrast, some MEPs including Regina Doherty (EPP) and Gheorghe Piperea (ECR) expressed skepticism about increased regulatory rigidity, warning that brushing aside contractual freedom risks overreach. Others such as Kim Van Sparrentak (Greens/EFA) advocated for extending protections beyond minors to adult consumers and banning manipulative digital techniques wholesale.
The cleavages thus revolve around balancing EU-wide harmonization and stronger consumer protections—particularly for minors—against preserving national discretion and business flexibility. Extending powers over digital addictive design, advertising disclosures, and AI content supervision marks a move toward deepening EU integration in digital consumer law. However, opposition voices caution potential burdens and a one-size-fits-all approach could stifle innovation or conflict with contractual norms.
Stakeholders affected include EU digital platforms required to boost transparency and compliance costs, SMEs benefiting from harmonized late payment rules, minors as the core protected group against manipulative AI-generated content, and national authorities tasked with enforcing new regulations within their jurisdiction.
Looking ahead, follow-up efforts will likely focus on finalizing the DFA’s scope with an impact assessment, accelerating DSA enforcement mechanisms, and operationalizing the Right to Repair delegated act with specified deadlines—all of which signal incremental but significant shifts in the governance of digital markets and consumer safeguarding.