The European Commission has launched a consultation on the safety of apps and other
non-embedded software (i.e., software and apps that are neither
embedded nor contained in a tangible medium at the time of their
placement in the market, their supply to consumers, or when they
are otherwise made available to consumers). Health and wellbeing
apps that can be used on a mobile device are examples of such
software. The purpose of the consultation is to gather input from
various stakeholder groups, in particular consumers, businesses,
and authorities, on their experience related to the safety of apps
and other non-embedded software. The questions aim at obtaining a
better understanding of the possible risks and problems that
non-embedded software may pose and how these problems could be
addressed. The views gathered during the consultation will help to
define potential next steps and future policies at the EU level,
including, if appropriate, possible revisions of existing
horizontal and/or sector-specific EU legislation. The consultation
is open for comments until September 15, 2016.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.