DECO Demands Government Ban on Post-Contract Service Degradation

DECO's Formal Complaint: Digital Platforms' Bait-and-Switch Strategy

Portugal's Consumer Defense Association (DECO) has formally denounced what millions of residents already experience—a systematic corporate strategy that delivers premium digital services at signup, then systematically degrades quality once users are locked into contractual commitments.

The association has presented its concerns directly to the Portugal Government, demanding explicit legislative prohibitions on feature removal and service degradation designed to force consumers into paying more for features they originally accessed at lower price points.

The core complaint: Companies across streaming, social media, search, and ride-hailing sectors systematically remove features or degrade service quality after users complete their initial commitment periods, effectively executing what DECO describes as "artificial dependency"—trapping consumers in a cycle where degradation becomes the mechanism for recurring revenue extraction.

Where Portugal Residents See This Pattern Daily

DECO has documented specific examples of this degradation across major platforms:

Instagram and Facebook Feeds: Meta's original promise centered on connecting users with people they know. Today, those feeds are dominated by sponsored posts, paid promotions, and algorithmic recommendations—not organic content from actual social connections. The feature that originally built these platforms now requires premium subscriptions to access reliably.

Google Search Results: Search results pages now contain dense clusters of sponsored listings before organic results appear, making it increasingly difficult for users to distinguish between advertisements and genuine information based on relevance.

Streaming Platforms: Netflix, HBO Max, and similar services have fragmented unified subscriptions into ad-supported tiers, family plan restrictions, and additional paywalls. Content once accessible through single subscriptions is now locked behind multiple payment layers.

Mobility Services: Uber and comparable platforms entered the Portuguese market promising reliable service and fair pricing. Users now report longer wait times, unpredictable surge pricing, inconsistent driver quality, and service that has notably declined while costs have risen.

Legal Tools Already Available to Consumers

Portuguese residents have existing legal protections, though many remain unaware of them:

The EU Digital Content Directive (2019/770) requires that digital platforms maintain the functionality integral to their original service. When platforms remove core features that defined the service at purchase, they arguably breach conformity obligations.

EU Prohibition on Planned Obsolescence explicitly bans use of software and technical methods designed to deliberately reduce product or service lifespan. Intentional degradation through software updates violates consumer protection law.

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive prohibits deceptive conduct, including dark patterns (manipulative interface designs) and concealment of material information about service changes.

Portugal's Consumer Rights: Under EU consumer protection law, if a service provider materially breaches contractual obligations—including failure to deliver promised service quality—consumers can potentially rescind contracts without penalty, though enforcement remains inconsistent in practice.

What DECO Is Asking Residents to Do

DECO has issued a direct call to action: document degradation when it occurs and report it. The association has provided specific steps:

Document Everything: Screenshot or record evidence when platforms remove features, change pricing, or degrade performance. Save receipts, billing history, and dated records.

File Formal Complaints: Use DECO's complaint portal to report abusive practices. Individual complaints contribute to aggregate evidence that triggers regulatory intervention.

Exercise GDPR Data Rights: Under EU regulations, demand that platforms provide your data in standard format. Mass data exits create market pressure.

Demand Written Justification: Formally request detailed explanations for feature changes or price increases. Companies are legally required to provide clear information under EU consumer protection law.

Cancel and State Reasons: If a service degrades after a promotional period ends, cancel and document the reason. Large-scale cancellations attributed to specific degradation create market pressure.

The Government's Regulatory Stance

The Portugal Competition Authority (AdC) has signaled heightened vigilance in digital markets, establishing dedicated oversight focused on how dominant platforms use market position. While the AdC has not issued a specific public response to DECO's complaint, its regulatory posture suggests openness to enforcement action if evidence emerges of market distortion or consumer trapping.

DECO's formal complaint has been submitted to government authorities. Over the coming months, watch for legislative proposals addressing digital service durability and potential enforcement actions by Portuguese competition authorities.

The outcome will determine whether Portuguese residents have a legal foundation to demand sustained service quality, or whether the cycle of degradation continues unchecked.

For now, DECO's message is clear: You have rights. Exercise them. Do not accept service degradation as inevitable.