Article 26.03.2026 2 min. read Text Image Panoptykon will be present at the CPDP conference in Brussels this season with a panel on digital fairness and consumer empowerment. Panoptykon’s president Katarzyna Szymielewicz will lead the discussion featuring DG Justice and Norwegian Consumer Council. The panel will look at emerging policy opportunities, including the Digital Fairness Act, to bring more fairness, consumer choice, and resilience in the digital space.More details and the names of panelists – coming soon!Panoptykon has explored legal and technological solutions to protect vulnerable individuals, and society at large, from harms caused by online platforms’ recommender systems optimised for short-term profit. Read Katarzyna Szymielewicz pieces on recommender systems and social media interoperability recently published on DSA Observatory website.The 19th edition of the CPDP will take place on May 19-22 2026 in Brussels (Belgium). Register at the official CPDP websiteOfficial description of the panelThe internet that we used to know is dying. Global technological companies, colloquially known as “Big Tech”, have entrenched their dominance across a vast range of digital services – from social media and search engines to cloud infrastructure and generative artificial intelligence. They have normalized business models which in many cases are incompatible with fundamental rights, such as the collection and use of vast amounts of personal data for advertising and unfair personalisation. Their platforms – once advertised as “social media” – chose to prioritise short term user engagement over long term consumer value. As a result of this choice, these services are exploited in the cognitive war and pose public security risks.Confronted with these risks, European consumers seek safer and healthier alternatives. Decentralized and interoperable platforms – such as Mastodon – are growing too and start experimenting with fair personalisation.In this panel we will look at emerging policy opportunities, including the Digital Fairness Act, and market incentives to bring more fairness, consumer choice, competition and resilience in the digital space. Katarzyna Szymielewicz Author Topic social media Previous See also Article President’s veto further delays the implementation of the DSA in Poland Poland is among the last EU member states to implement the Digital Service Act. After two years of negotiations between the government and civil actors – led by the Panoptykon Foundation, the Polish NGO protecting fundamental rights in the online context – the implementing act was ready. 20.01.2026 Text Article Big Tech platforms are hurting us. 50 organisations urge the EU to #fixalgorithms The list of negative consequences of how dominant online platforms shape our experience online is neither short nor trivial. From exploiting users’ vulnerabilities, triggering psychological trauma, depriving people of job opportunities to pushing disturbing content to others, these are just some… 21.09.2021 Text Article DSA implementation in Poland – timeline It’s been whole three years since Digital Services Act was adopted. But even though it became fully effective in February 2024, Poland has not yet implemented it. This means that our people cannot benefit from the protection it offers against internet platforms’ harmful practices. 19.12.2025 Text
