GPSR and digital products: Staying compliant with the EU’s product safety laws when selling digital products on online marketplaces

The European Union’s new product safety regulation increases the threshold all non-food products must meet to be deemed safe for consumers. 

The regulation strengthens the protection of vulnerable consumers and addresses the risks of rapidly developing digital products and the dangers they pose to consumers’ mental and physical health. 

However, the document only offers a broad definition of a product, and it doesn’t explicitly state that the new product safety regulation applies to digital products, leaving room for interpretation. 

The GPSR applies to eBooks, standalone software products, video games, and other electronically delivered goods. 

That’s why sellers who offer these types of products in the EU must meet stringent safety standards before making them available to European consumers. 

In this article, we’ll explore the GPSR’s impact on digital products to help you determine the scope of your obligations and understand what you must do to meet the compliance requirements.