Digital Networks Act: Proposal Weakens Consumer Rights and Increases Cost of Living

On 21 January 2026, the European Commission published a proposal for a Digital Networks Act. With this proposal, it aims to comprehensively harmonise and simplify European telecommunications law and to adapt it to technological developments. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) calls for consumer protection to be given priority in the Digital Networks Act.

„Ten percent of all complaints received by the German Consumer Associations concern problems with internet and telephone contracts. The current proposal for the Digital Networks Act threatens to weaken consumer protection in the telecommunications sector. The European legislator must prevent this. Focusing solely on strengthening the economic position of telecommunications companies is the wrong approach,” says Lina Ehrig, Head of the Digital and Media Team at the Federation of German Consumer Organisations.

The Federation of German Consumer Organisations calls for:

Preserving national regulatory discretion: The Digital Networks Act should be adopted as a directive rather than a regulation, so that Member States retain leeway in its implementation.Harmonising rules at the European level must not lead to the weakening of the established national consumer protection level. One example is the product information sheets that have proven effective in Germany and would be abolished under the new proposal.
Maintaining a high level of consumer protection and improving it where necessary: Consumers need contractual flexibility. In the case of internet and telephone contracts, the notice period following unilateral contract changes should not be shortened to less than three months. In addition, the maximum commitment period should be reduced from 24 to twelve months. Shorter contract durations promote competition and encourage providers to convince consumers through good service and fair terms and conditions.
Safeguarding an open and free internet: Net neutrality rules should remain untouched. No dispute resolution mechanism should be introduced for the interconnection market, as this would very likely lead to additional costs for consumers. An open and free internet is a fundamental prerequisite for equal digital participation and must not be put at risk. Moreover, consumers must not be further burdened with higher costs of living.

Background:

Ten percent of all consumer complaints submitted to consumer advice centres between December 2024 and November 2025 concerned the telecommunications market.

The analysis of complaint statistics is based on case records from all 16 German Consumer Associations across approximately 200 advice offices. These case records constitute a statistical overview of all consumer issues brought to the the German Consumer Associations as part of their institutional consumer protection work. However, no direct conclusions can be drawn regarding the overall prevalence of specific consumer problems within the general population. Complaints received by the German Consumer Associations represent only a fraction of actual consumer problems, as not all affected consumers contact their local consumer advice centre.