Consumers International announces the theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2019
Consumers International has announced that the theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2019 will be ‘Trusted Smart Products’.
From smart phones to wearable fitness trackers, to voice-activated assistants and smart TVs, many of the products we use are increasingly becoming connected by default. This World Consumers Rights Day we will be highlighting what consumers want and need from a connected world and how important it is to put them at the heart of the development of these digital products and services.
About the theme
Smart products are connected to the internet and receive, collect and send data. Globally, there are currently 23.1 billion smart products in the world, outnumbering people three to one.
As more people come online across the world and our connection to the internet becomes better and faster, smart products will become more of a day-to-day reality for consumers everywhere, marking a major change in the way many consumers interact with products and services.
The emergence of smart technology brings many opportunities for consumers; access to new services, more responsive products, greater convenience and choice. There are, however, some significant causes for concern: lack of security, privacy and meaningful choice over how we use them, as well as a lack of clarity about who is responsible when things go wrong.
There are also issues around lack of access, with millions of people globally locked out of this new technology by overly high data charges.
World Consumer Rights Day is our chance to deliver real impact for consumers and remind the world about the importance of observing and enforcing consumer rights.
We will have a range of social media activities you can take part in for the day. You can join our call for trusted smart products by using the #BetterDigitalWorld hashtag. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news and announcements about the day.
If you want to find out more about the World Consumer Rights Day 2019 campaign or share information about your plans for the day, you can email our dedicated team at wcrd@consint.org.