As the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act comes into effect, CTSI is providing free training on the legislation to its members.
The Institute is also offering training to non-members at a cost equivalent to or less than membership fees – meaning that joining as an applicant member would include the training in addition to the ongoing benefits of CTSI membership.
The landmark DMCC Act represents a significant shake-up of online consumer protection law, and has been described as ‘one of the biggest changes to our legislation in the last 10 years’. It consists of six parts, and its phased introduction to the statute book will mean new rules for tech firms, online marketplaces and online sellers. These rules will address things like fake online reviews and subscription traps, and will bolster enforcement powers for Trading Standards, with the introduction of new tools such as Online Interface Orders.
Parts 3 and 4 of the Act, relating to enforcement measures and new consumer protections respectively, are scheduled to come into force in April.
The training will be provided by CTSI Lead Officers Jemma Cox, Sylvia Rook and David Mackenzie, who advised on the legislation from its inception, engaging extensively with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Their input and insights were instrumental in steering the Act towards its final form.
Rook, who is CTSI Lead Officer for Fair Trading, said: “This is a topic that affects everyone, and I would argue that everyone in Trading Standards needs to be aware of it, because it’s so broad-ranging and basic for what we do. Pretty much everyone should be trained on this and that’s a big undertaking.”
CTSI’s DMCC Act training will comprise two live webinars, examining the Act’s implications for criminal and civil law respectively. They will be held on dates throughout February, March and April, and are the first in a series of ‘Law in Practice’ training modules and related resources – including online training, face-to-face meetings, ‘ask-the-expert’ seminars, and exclusive Conference events – all intended to tackle legislation likely to impact the Trading Standards profession.
Future training in the series will cover other crucial legislation, such as the Tobacco & Vapes Bill and the Product Regulation & Legal Metrology Bill.
For further information and to register for the free training webinars, click here.
