Online shoppers will no longer be restricted from accessing websites based on their location.
New Geo-blocking regulation takes effect for Irish businesses and consumers today.
The laws mean that all consumers in the EU will now have the same rights to access a trader's goods and services on the same terms.
The Geo-blocking Regulation applies to transactions which have a cross-border element. The new rules mean that:
- EU-based businesses are no longer allowed to block or limit a customer from accessing their website based on their location and they cannot automatically redirect a customer to a different online interface without their express consent.
- In certain circumstances, businesses must provide consumers with the same access and possibility to acquire goods and services as local customers. In terms of setting prices, this means that a trader can have different prices on websites aimed at different territories, but customers must not be confined to buying from the website aimed at their location.
- While traders are free to accept whatever payment method they wish, the Geo-blocking Regulation prohibits them from treating those payment methods differently depending on the location of the customer.
