This open letter of the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) is asking the Members of the European Parliament for a high level of consumer protection, that is particularly important to us for all products and services that are based on algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) and that consumers come into contact with. We are notably committed to ensuring that they are given the best protection against the erosion of their basic rights and freedoms, lack of transparency, discrimination, and other risks of damage caused by such analysis software.
 

This open letter from AK President Renate Anderl and ÖGB President Wolfgang Katzian is addressed to the members of the EU Parliament, as key decision-makers in the negotiations on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. It is important that AI as a technology is regulated at the European level. However, the AI law must allow member states to maintain existing labor (constitutional) law provisions and to experiment with national regulations (collective agreements) on AI in the workplace. Clarification before a decision is made in the law is absolutely necessary.

The agreement on the Digital Markets Act sets clear rules for large online platforms. They shall ensure that no large online platform that acts as a “gatekeeper” for a large number of users abuses its position to the detriment of companies wishing to access such users.

AK EUROPA, together with European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) organised a webinar on consumer protection as an integral part of trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.

Event jointly organised by Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA), the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) and The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC).

Trustworthy AI? Not without Consumer Protection!
 

Input for the Webinar by Walter Peissl
(Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Technology Assessment - ITA)

Carried out in 14 states, including Austria, a new survey by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) once more confirms that low earning opportunities are accompanied by high fluctuation and short, fragmented working periods of online and platform workers at the same time. On 17 February 2022, this issue took centre stage at a large ETUI conference.

In this open letter civil society organisations and workers organisations, including AK EUROPA, are requesting from Executive Vice-President Vestager and Commissioner Breton urgent improvements to the transparency of the trilogue negotiations of the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act.

The Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA), the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) and The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) are pleased to invite you to our webinar.

Interrupted supply chains during the Coronavirus pandemic led to a global shortage of semiconductor chips. As a result factories closed in many sectors which in turn highlighted the significance of semiconductors for both European industry and society overall. In order to tackle these problems in the long turn the Commission recently proposed the European Chips Act which aims at making the European semiconductor industry more independent.