EU's eYouGuidehttp://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eyouguide/navigation/index_en.htm
The European Union Directorate-General for Health and Consumers has created the eYou Guide to inform consumers about their rights online. It offers advice to consumers on how they can make their web experience better and safer, explaining rights and responsibilities in a question and answer format organized within Actions (i.e. "Uploading", "Shopping Online"..) or Topics ("Protecting Privacy", "Being Informed)..). The site has an informal look and the text is easy to read and understand. In describing its mandate there is a caveat that, due to its informal nature, the information given in this website may not be fully accurate and that it does not aim at being exhaustive. Even so, this is a useful site for reference, because the internet is global and it is not always evident what one's rights and responsibilities are, particularly with regard to legal questions surrounding copyright and intellectual property. Links to official documentation are provided as "Related Links".
The site was described in a press release on May 9, 2009:
"The European Commission today launched the eYouGuide, a new online tool giving practical advice on the "digital rights" consumers have under EU law. This guide, which responds to a call from the European Parliament in 2007, addresses consumer issues like the rights towards your broadband provider, shopping on the web, downloading music and protecting your personal data online and on social networking sites. Even though 48.5% of EU households have a broadband internet connection, a new Eurobarometer survey shows that a lack of confidence still holds many consumers back from online transactions. Only 12% of EU web users feel safe making transactions on the internet, while 39% of EU internet users have major doubts about safety, and 42% do not dare carry out financial transactions online. 65% of internet users in the EU do not know where to get information and advice about cross-border shopping in the EU. A third of consumers would consider buying online from another country because it is cheaper or better, but only 7% actually do so. Giving consumers clear information about their rights will increase trust and help unlock the full economic potential of Europe's single online market, worth at 106 billion Euros in revenues."
