Introduce mandatory protections for digital pre-order consumers

Background

We ask the UK Government to introduce minimum consumer protection rules for digital pre-order products, including transparency of project status, mandatory development updates, clear cancellation outcomes, and platform-level accountability for inactive or abandoned projects.

Additional details

Digital pre-order products are widely used in games and online platforms. Consumers often pay for items still in development, but there is limited transparency, update requirements, or cancellation protection. This can lead to abandoned projects and no clear resolution. We call for basic rules requiring project status disclosure, regular updates, and clear cancellation or refund processes to protect consumers while supporting developers.