Today, March 15th, is Consumer Day. Undoubtedly, there have been advances in this area in Brazil in recent decades, such as the CDC (Consumer Defense Code), in force for 31 years; the Civil Rights Framework for the Internet; the LGPD (General Personal Data Protection Law), and the Over-indebtedness Law. But we cannot sleep in a splendid crib, as the CDC was once much more respected and officially supported than it is now.
I mentioned that one of the most recent advances was the Over-indebtedness Law. Its rapporteur, Claudia Lima Marques –a member of the Commission of Jurists that proposed updates to the CDC, in 2010, and former president of Brasilcon–, suggests ways to improve the lives of consumers.
According to her, to celebrate this day, we would have to create a special committee in the Chamber to analyze PL 3514/2015 on the digital world, and finish the update started with the approval of Law 14.181/2015, on the prevention and treatment of over-indebtedness. of the consumer.
During the last two years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have realized more deeply the importance of legal provision for consumer protection in e-commerce and distance.
In an age where the consumer is served by robots and artificial intelligence, Dr. José Geraldo Brito Filomeno, one of the creators of the CDC, defends that there is more humanization and less robotization. I fully agree! It is very unpleasant not to be attended by a human being, especially when we have to explain a more complex issue in defense of our rights.
Consumer Day honors an initiative that took place 60 years ago. John Kennedy, then president of the United States, sent to the Congress of that country a declaration in which he defined the fundamental rights of the consumer.
One of the best consumer legislation in the world, the CDC can and should always be adjusted to technological and behavioral changes that impact consumer relations.
I add that the challenges are enormous in the face of globalization. After all, the consumer market has changed the lives of all of us! Digital platforms, with technologies that can also promote sales of products of dubious origin, with less quality of products and services, increase the risks in accessing goods, such as lack of privacy, security and sustainability.
In addition, the flattening of Brazilians’ income is worrying, debased by unemployment, high inflation and the precariousness of work.
It is regrettable that, in a month in which we honor the consumer, one of the news is that São Paulo retailers already accept to pay for a gas cylinder in 10 installments on their credit card. And that’s because the price of cooking gas costs up to R$ 150.00 in some regions!
This sad reality adds to the bones of first and second class, and shows how difficult life is for most Brazilians.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
