From 6 April 2025, writing or even just hosting a fake online review in the UK could cost businesses dearly. With the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (“DMCCA”) now in force, the UK government is taking firm action against misleading digital practices. Central to these reforms is a clear crackdown on dishonest reviews, designed to restore trust in online shopping and ensure that consumers can rely on what they read.
What’s New Under the DMCCA?
The DMCCA explicitly prohibits several practices related to fake and misleading consumer reviews:
| Practice | Explanation | Example |
| Commissioning or incentivising fake reviews | Businesses can no longer pay or encourage individuals to write false or misleading reviews. | A company pays freelancers to leave five-star reviews for a product they’ve never purchased or used, in order to boost its online reputation. |
| Hosting misleading reviews
| Platforms must take reasonable and proportionate steps to ensure that the reviews they display are genuine and not misleading. | An online marketplace continues to display clearly fabricated reviews even after being alerted by customers without taking reasonable steps to verify or remove them. |
| Review manipulation | This includes practices like cherry-picking positive reviews, suppressing negative ones, or presenting reviews of different products as if they relate to the product in question. | A business deletes negative reviews from its own website while prominently featuring only positive ones, giving a skewed impression of customer satisfaction. |
| Concealing incentivised reviews | If a review has been incentivised, this must be clearly disclosed to consumers. | A retailer offers customers a discount or free gift in exchange for a positive review but does not disclose this incentive alongside the review itself. |
The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) will now have enhanced enforcement powers akin to those of the Information Commissioner’s Office under the UK GDPR. This includes the ability to directly issue substantial fines up to 10% of a company’s global annual turnover or £300,000 (whichever is greater), for non-compliance with the new rules on online reviews. Crucially, these penalties can be imposed without the need to go through the courts, marking a significant shift toward faster, more decisive consumer protection enforcement.
Practical Steps for Compliance
To align with the DMCCA, businesses should:
- Review and update review policies: Ensure that policies clearly prohibit fake and misleading reviews and are easily accessible to consumers.
- Enhance review moderation processes: Implement systems to detect and remove fake or misleading reviews promptly.
- Train staff and partners: Educate employees and third-party partners about the new regulations and their role in compliance.
- Monitor and audit practices: Regularly assess review practices to identify and address potential issues proactively.
Need Further Guidance?
If you’re a business that publishes or hosts customer reviews and have questions about how the DMCCA affects you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our Commercial Team is here to help you navigate these changes and ensure your practices remain compliant.
Please note: the content of this article is accurate as of the date of publication. However, it is not intended to constitute legal advice. For advice tailored to your specific business circumstances, we recommend contacting our commercial team directly.