www.gov.uk/government/publications/geo-blocking-of-online-content-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
Geo-blocking of online content if there’s no Brexit deal
How restricting access to online content (geo-blocking) between the UK and EU member states would be regulated if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.
Before 29 March 2019
The Geo-Blocking Regulation will apply from 3rd December 2018. The Geo-Blocking Regulation will prohibit the following activities:
blocking access to, or forced redirection away from, a website on the basis of an internet user’s EU nationality or place of residence within the EU
discrimination by traders on the basis of the customer’s nationality or place of residence when they are purchasing (i) goods online, (ii) electronically supplied services (such as web hosting or cloud storage, but excluding copyrighted material such as ebooks and streamed movies), or (iii) services provided in a specific physical location (such as a theme park)
discrimination by traders against a means of payment solely on the basis of its place of issue within the EU
After March 2019 if there’s no deal
In a ‘no deal’ scenario, the UK version of the Geo-Blocking Regulation will cease to have effect in UK law. The original EU Regulation will continue to apply to UK businesses operating within the EU, and indeed all other non-EU businesses selling goods and services into the single market.
Implications
Following repeal of the Geo-Blocking Regulation in the UK, traders from the UK, EU and third countries would not be prohibited from discriminating between EU customers and UK customers in the respects set out above. For instance a UK trader would be able to offer different terms to a UK customer compared to a French customer.
The Geo-Blocking Regulation will continue to operate in the EU. UK traders who wish to continue operating in the EU will continue to be bound by the provisions of the Geo-Blocking Regulation when dealing with EU customers. This means that a UK trader will not be able to discriminate between customers in different EU member states, for instance between a French and a German customer, in the respects set out above.
So businesses are having to gear up for offering equal services and prices across Europe from the 3rd Dec - including all the costs this is going to involved. But four months later this might no longer apply.
I'm sure there is a LOT in here that isn't terribly good for UK consumers or businesses. Imagine going on holiday to France and paying three times more than anyone else on the site because they are EU citizens.
It links into this on the Consumer Rights note out today.
UK consumers will also no longer be able to use the UK courts effectively to seek redress from EU based traders, and if a UK court does make a judgement, the enforcement of that judgement will be more difficult as we will no longer be part of the EU. In addition, there will no longer be reciprocal obligations on the UK or EU Member States to investigate breaches of consumer laws or take forward enforcement actions.
So if you go on holiday in Europe, if where you go isn't as advertised, you have no consumer rights anymore. If a holiday firm has two couples and a double booking, guess who is going to get screwed over first out of an EU couple and a British couple.
It goes a little further and states if you buy a package holiday from a UK firm that operates in the EU or an EU firm that is targeting UK customers then you will still be protected under the law if it goes bump, however if you buy a package holiday from an EU operator in that operates in the EU you won't. Given how many travel firms are actually EU based, and the above about how you can be discriminated against for being British in terms of price, then EU based firms selling to an EU market (basically selling in euros rather than pounds) then that might start to look very attractive in terms of price, but you would leave yourself wide open to problems.
And heres another one relating to the notice about rail services
Faisal Islam @faisalislam
Reference to cross border Rail services - Eurostar/Eurotunnel under No Deal -: “Passengers using cross-border services are responsible for ensuring that their insurance and ticket terms and conditions are sufficient to cover possible disruption”
Travel to the EU starts to look like a minefield should anything go wrong. The fine print starts to look VERY messy. I suspect even the prudent are going to be at risk of becoming croppers.