The strategy coming to life

In March, we announced that Consumers International had revised its strategy. I’m pleased to say that the strategy has been well received and we have several exciting projects and partners on board already. Our partners from government, civil society and business are working with us on specific consumer challenges and opportunities, to support our goal of achieving positive consumer outcomes at speed.

Connected products

We will be working with the Internet Society, a global digital NGO, to help consumers understand what good connected products look like and make informed choices when it comes to buying these items, as well as engaging with manufactures and retailers to make changes to their practices.

More of our work on connected products

Vodafone, the major telecommunications group, that sells own-brand connected products on its platform, plans to extend their range to include selected partners’ products. However, they want to ensure that these items meet a high standard of consumer safety, security and ethics. To support this goal the company is sponsoring a convening workstream with Consumers International to bring together key manufacturers, supply chain partners and consumer organisations to develop insight and best practice. This will give consumers the opportunity to choose good quality connected products that they can trust and promote competition around better consumer practices in connected products.

This year we will be taking the insight from these projects to build towards World Consumer Rights Day which will focus on connected products, systems and smart phones.
 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

There is a lack of understanding around what the impact of increased use of artificial intelligence will be for consumers, and how to address potential issues such as data use, autonomy and bias. We are working with Google APAC (Asia-Pacific), who want to understand how consumers really feel about the current and future impact of AI as it becomes more embedded into people’s lives.

Better understanding consumers’ experiences of AI will help consumers using AI driven services now and support consumers in countries that are yet to see widespread availability of AI technology by helping policy makers and businesses anticipate and mitigate problems. The company is sponsoring a convening workstream to develop foresight through original research in three Asia-Pacific countries, supplemented by expert interviews and analysis delivered by Consumers International.

Scams

Consumers around the world are falling victim to scams that are being shared through adverts and messages on social media platforms. These scams can be difficult for consumers to identify and it can take too long to have them removed from the platforms. This growing problem results in consumers losing money and personal data and weakens trust in social media platforms and digital marketplaces.

With support from the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) in the Sultanate of Oman, we are undertaking unique research into the issue and bringing together enforcement agencies, platforms and consumer groups to better understand the challenges and identify solutions. Together we aim to find effective solutions that protect consumers and make social media platforms a safer place for all consumers.

To learn more about our strategy, see here.