On 27 March 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened its first five investigations into fake and misleading reviews under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act), across sectors including car sales, food delivery and funerals.
The CMA can now enforce consumer law directly — and fines can reach 10% of global annual turnover.
What's banned
- Fake reviews, or reviews that misrepresent who wrote them
- Commissioning or incentivising fake reviews
- Hiding negative reviews or presenting reviews in a misleading way
- Incentivised reviews that aren't clearly disclosed
What businesses must do
Businesses that publish reviews must take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove banned reviews. In practice that means:
- Publish a clear reviews policy.
- Assess your risk — where reviews come from and how they're collected.
- Have a process to detect and remove suspicious reviews.
- Never gate reviews (only inviting happy customers) or cherry-pick in a way that misleads.
- Make sure website testimonials are genuine, attributable and up to date.
Why it matters for marketing
Reviews and testimonials are some of the most persuasive content on any website — which is exactly why regulators are watching. Genuine, specific, well-presented proof still wins work. Fabricated or filtered proof is now a board-level risk.
Frequently asked questions
Does this apply to B2B businesses?
The DMCC consumer rules focus on consumers, but B2B firms that publish reviews or sell to consumers should follow the same standards — and misleading testimonials can breach other rules too.
Can we still ask happy clients for reviews?
Yes — but invite all customers fairly, don't incentivise without clear disclosure, and never write or edit reviews on a customer's behalf.
What about testimonials on our website?
Keep a record showing each one is genuine and that you have permission to use it.
Sources
- HSF Kramer — CMA launches first investigations into fake and misleading reviews
- Freshfields — DMCC Act consumer reforms
This article is general information, not legal advice.
