Consumer movement welcomes statement from G20 Digital Ministers

07 April 2017

Consumers International and the Federation of German consumer organisations (vzbv) have welcomed the G20 Digital Ministers’ statement released on 7 April. The statement notes the recommendations presented at the G20 Consumer Summit on 15 March, emphasises the importance of building a digital world consumes can trust and invites Consumers International to join further discussions on how to protect consumers in the digital economy under the next G20 presidency.

In their statement digital ministers from the G20 plus Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Singapore and Vietnam said,

“Trust and security are fundamental to the functioning of the digital economy; without them, uptake of digital technologies may be limited, undermining an important source of potential growth and social progress.”

They also recognised the importance of enforcing competition and consumer protection laws in the digital economy, which are conducive to market access, technological innovation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)s and the growth of the digital economy. 

The G20 Ministers responsible for the digital economy intend to:

  • Exchange experiences on how to build trust and encourage the use of risk-based technical standards, guidelines and best practices to identify access and manage security risks by both the public and private sectors
  • Encourage the development of national privacy strategies while taking into account the different needs in countries.
  • Recognise the importance of promoting interoperability between privacy frameworks of different countries.
  • Further study new business models in relation to consumer trust.

The G20 Ministers’ statement, issued under the German presidency of the G20, also supports the continuation of work on international public policy issues related to privacy and security and further discussions under the Argentinean presidency on ‘how to protect consumers in the digital economy including and inviting international organisations such as UNCTAD, the OECD and Consumers International.’

Our View


“Consumer support has been central to the success of the digital economy. As new technology becomes more integrated into our lives it is essential for consumers, and for the economy, that we are all able to trust these new products and services.”

Amanda Long, Director General, Consumers International


“We have a very positive sign from this statement that consumers’ digital needs and demands will be taken into account on a global scale.”

Klaus Muller, Chief Executive, Federation of German Consumer Organisations

As part of the 2017 G20 process on the digital economy, Consumers International, the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) and the German Ministry for Justice and Consumer Protection co-hosted the first ever G20 Consumer Summit on World Consumer Rights Day, 15 March 2017 on the topic of consumer trust in the digital economy.

At the Consumer Summit senior representatives from government, business and the consumer movement discussed ten recommendations from the international consumer movement covering a number of key challenges facing consumers including access and inclusion, data protection and security, and effective means of securing consumer rights in a fast moving digital economy. We hope that these recommendations will be further addressed through the work at the OECD and UNCTAD.