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France Fines Boohoo €2.3 Million Over Fake Discounts

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France’s consumer watchdog has fined British fast-fashion retailer Boohoo €2.3 million for deceptive practices on its website. The DGCCRF said the company exaggerated discounts, giving shoppers a misleading impression of the savings they were receiving.

The regulator found that 40% of promotions reviewed were not genuine price reductions, while 7% offered smaller discounts than advertised. In 48% of cases, the prices were actually higher. Boohoo was also accused of using terms such as “leather” and “suede” for synthetic products, violating French product-labeling rules.

Boohoo said the issues occurred between October 2023 and February 2024 under its previous management and have since been resolved. The company said it cooperated with the regulator and continues to review its pricing and product-labeling practices. Shares in Boohoo parent Debenhams fell 2.4% on Thursday.

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France Bans Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls

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France has introduced a nationwide ban on unsolicited telemarketing calls, a move consumer advocates have described as a major victory for privacy. Businesses across all sectors can no longer make marketing calls without prior consent, except when contacting customers about an existing contract.

Consumer group Que Choisir Ensemble welcomed the change, saying people should have the right to peace and privacy without being treated as potential customers in their homes. A 2025 parliamentary report found that 97% of French people are annoyed by telemarketing calls, while 72% said they received such calls on their mobile phones at least once a week.

The restrictions have drawn criticism from business groups and raised concerns in Morocco, whose call-centre industry depends heavily on French clients. One Moroccan government minister estimated the changes could threaten up to 50,000 jobs. France now joins countries including Germany, Austria and Italy in imposing significant restrictions on unsolicited marketing calls.

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German Court Rules Milka Misled Consumers With Shrinking Chocolate Bar

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A court in Germany has ruled that chocolate maker Mondelēz International misled consumers by reducing the size of its popular Milka Alpenmilch chocolate bar while keeping nearly identical packaging. The case, brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office, accused the company of deceiving buyers after shrinking the bar from 100g to 90g while also increasing the price from €1.49 to €1.99.

The Bremen regional court said the unchanged purple wrapper created a misleading impression for customers familiar with the product over many years. Judges ruled that the issue was not the packaging itself, but the gap between consumer expectations and the actual product size. The court stated that clearer and more noticeable labeling about the reduced weight was necessary to avoid deception. Mondelēz said it respected the decision and would review the ruling, though it still has the option to appeal.

The case has become one of Germany’s biggest examples of “shrinkflation” — the practice of reducing product sizes while maintaining or increasing prices due to rising production costs. Consumer groups say chocolate has been especially affected because of soaring cocoa prices linked to poor harvests in West Africa. Other products, including toothpaste, oats, and coffee, have also faced similar criticism, while brands like Ritter Sport have also come under scrutiny for reducing chocolate bar weights.

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Apple, Meta and Google to be investigated by the EU

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The European Union has initiated investigations into major tech companies such as Meta, Apple, and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) over potential violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) introduced in 2022. If found guilty, these companies could face fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover.

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager and industry head Thierry Breton announced the investigations, focusing on allegations of anti-competitive practices by these tech giants. The DMA, which targets companies considered to be digital gatekeepers, aims to foster fair competition in the digital market.

The investigations are particularly focused on whether these companies are impeding fair competition, such as by limiting app communication with users, restricting user choice, or favoring their own services in search results. For instance, Apple faces scrutiny for its App Store policies, while Meta is being investigated for its advertising practices.

These investigations come shortly after Apple was fined €1.8 billion for competition law violations related to music streaming, and amid a landmark lawsuit in the United States accusing Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market.

Both Apple and Meta have responded, expressing willingness to engage with the investigation and asserting their compliance with the DMA. However, Alphabet has yet to comment on the matter.

The EU aims to complete the investigations within approximately 12 months, with a focus on ensuring open and contestable digital markets in Europe. The timing of these actions, just ahead of European Parliament elections, underscores the EU’s commitment to consumer protection and fair competition in the digital sphere.

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