Remedies to Digital Vulnerability in European Private Law: Pathways towards Fairness

This open access book investigates from a comparative perspective how people who are or are made vulnerable in their interactions with digital technologies can prevent or redress harm. As such, the volume contributes to advancing the debate about the theoretical scope and the practical legal effects of the notion of ‘digital vulnerability’ from the fairness perspective. The main geographical focus of our study lies in Europe, covering developments at both the national and the supranational level (i.e., before the European Union and the Council of Europe), but some chapters also provide insights into a few extra-European jurisdictions. As to the substance, the volume centers on the remedies that can be used, or that should be available, for countering the state of asymmetry and powerlessness that people may experience in online encounters. These remedies stem from a variety of legal fields and take different forms – from pre-contractual liability to the control of unfair terms, from checks on misleading advertising to data protection mechanisms, from tort actions to injunctions and restitution orders. In this regard, the book does not only offer a description of the remedies that are currently available to digitally vulnerable people, but also takes a prescriptive stance on how European laws can best address the challenges posed by digital vulnerability.