The assessment of Product Safety under the GPSR: what’s new?
In addition to the old GSPD, the new regulation adds additional elements for producers to consider when determining if a product is safe before they can place it on the EU market. Every assessment must take under consideration:
- different impact on the health and safety of different genders;
- risks to the most vulnerable consumers (e.g. children);
- connectivity/interconnection with other products;
- the effect of software updates and software subsequently downloaded;
- cybersecurity and;
- the evolving, learning, and predicative functionalities of a product.
When evaluating the safety of digitally connected products that are likely to have an impact on children, manufacturers should make sure that the products they make available on the market meet the highest standards of safety, security, and privacy by design in the best interests of children. This includes the health risk posed by digitally connected products, including mental health, especially for vulnerable consumers, in particular children.