The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) has welcomed EU proposals cap the volume at which people can pipe music directly into their ears using MP3 players such as iPods.
The mandate is expected to be laid out in detail in detail today by European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Meglena Kuneva, at a press conference held at RNID's head office in London.
Under the new guidelines, default MP3 player volume settings will be limited to 80 dB(A), with exposure limited to 40 hours per week. Users still have the option of overriding these settings, but they'll be clearly warned of the possible consequences of their actions.
"The evidence is that particularly young people - who are listening to music at high volumes sometimes for hours each week - have no idea they can be putting their hearing at risk," Kuneva, said in a statement.
"These standards make small technical changes to players so that by default, normal use is safe. If consumers chose to override the default settings they can, but there will be clear warnings so they know the risks they are taking."
Manufacturers will also be asked to play their role by including warnings of the dangers on product packaging.
"This is a huge step forward in our aim to protect people's hearing from serious, permanent damage in later life. Hearing loss can have a profound affect on a person's life - it can cause social isolation and lead people to withdraw from family, work and friends," added Jackie Ballard, the RNID's chief executive in a statement.
"We want to help people do all they can to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. By recognising the affects of too much loud music now, people will be able to enjoy listening to music for longer. As these proposals are developed, it is essential that manufacturers of personal music players are supportive of these plans and we look forward to working in partnership with industry, legislators and campaigners to get the messages right and safeguard the hearing of a generation of music lovers."
-
Frustration as MITRE CVE program funding expiresNews The cyber database is invaluable to security teams the world over, helping flag the most urgent vulnerabilities
-
AI-first partnerships: Unlocking scalable growth for businessChannel partners play a vital role in facilitating AI adoption, but there's more to offering support than simple integration
-
‘Europe could do it, but it's chosen not to do it’: Eric Schmidt thinks EU regulation will stifle AI innovation – but Britain has a huge opportunityNews Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt believes EU AI regulation is hampering innovation in the region and placing enterprises at a disadvantage.
-
The EU just shelved its AI liability directiveNews The European Commission has scrapped plans to introduce the AI Liability Directive aimed at protecting consumers from harmful AI systems.
-
A big enforcement deadline for the EU AI Act just passed – here's what you need to know
News The first set of compliance deadlines for the EU AI Act passed on the 2nd of February, and enterprises are urged to ramp up preparations for future deadlines.
-
EU agrees amendments to Cyber Solidarity Act in bid to create ‘cyber shield’ for member statesNews The EU’s Cyber Solidarity Act will provide new mechanisms for authorities to bolster union-wide security practices
-
The EU's 'long-arm' regulatory approach could create frosty US environment for European tech firmsAnalysis US tech firms are throwing their toys out of the pram over the EU’s Digital Markets Act, but will this come back to bite European companies?
-
EU AI Act risks collapse if consensus not reached, experts warn
Analysis Industry stakeholders have warned the EU AI Act could stifle innovation ahead of a crunch decision
-
Three quarters of UK firms unprepared for NIS2 regulations, study findsNews Senior management can be held personally liable for non-compliance under NIS2 rules
-
US-UK data bridge: Everything you need to knowNews The US-UK data bridge will ease the complexity of transatlantic data transfers
