Rules and ethics
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What updated commerce reviews UK regulations mean for English retailers
What recent changes to UK consumer protection and advertising rules mean for how English retailers collect, verify and publish customer reviews.
What to take away
- The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 adds an express ban on fake reviews, sitting alongside the 2008 Regulations while commencement is phased.
- Reviews and testimonials count as marketing claims, so the CAP Code and ASA enforcement reach them too, including on product pages.
- Platforms run their own rulesYouTube bans fake engagement, and LinkedIn restricts traded recommendations.
- Keep dated records of collection and checks. Individual cases need a qualified adviser.
Where the rules come from
Review regulation in the UK is not one rulebook. The main legal sources are the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, the CAP Code and platform terms. Our UK rules and compliance guide for commerce reviews maps how they fit together.
Consumer protection law across England and the UK
Consumer protection is reserved, so the same statute applies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 ban misleading actions and omissions. That catches invented reviews, deleted negative ones and hidden incentives.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024. Its consumer protection provisions, including the fake-review ban, commence by regulations. The main consumer protection regime was scheduled to commence in April 2026. Check the commencement regulations for the exact in-force date and any transitional periods.
Advertising codes and platform terms
The CAP Code requires marketing communications to be honest and not misleading, and the ASA has ruled on review and testimonial claims under it. That remit covers advertising, so organic review pages sit outside it.
Testimonials must reflect the genuine opinion of the person giving them.
YouTube's spam policy bans fake engagement, and buying reviews counts as exactly that. LinkedIn's Professional Community Policies on recommendations and endorsements treat bought or traded recommendations as misuse.
What the rules require from your process
Most disputes about reviews trace back to invented content, hidden incentives or suppressed criticism. The table lines up each rule with the step that keeps you inside it.
Rules vs practical steps
Rule source
- CPUT Regulations 2008
- Misleading actions
- DMCC Act 2024
- Express fake review ban
- CAP Code and ASA
- Advertising claims
- Platform policies
- Fake engagement
What it covers
- CPUT Regulations 2008
- Fake or censored reviews
- DMCC Act 2024
- Direct CMA enforcement
- CAP Code and ASA
- Testimonials
- Platform policies
- Traded recommendations
Practical step
- CPUT Regulations 2008
- Log every removal
- DMCC Act 2024
- Check collection policy
- CAP Code and ASA
- Label paid content
- Platform policies
- Train review requesters
What the rules require
| Source | Covers | Step |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 | Fake or censored reviews | Log removals and reasons |
| Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 | Fake-review ban and CMA fines | Check collection and moderation |
| CAP Code and ASA rulings | Advertising and testimonials | Label paid content |
| Platform policies | Fake engagement | Train staff who ask for reviews |
Incentives, staff reviews and cherry picking
Offering a reward for a review is not automatically unlawful, but concealing the offer is a problem. Where a reviewer received payment or a free product, that belongs next to the review.
A five-star rating written by an employee, or by a relative, is not a customer review, and presenting it as one is the misleading conduct the 2008 Regulations address.
Filtering is allowed. Deleting genuine criticism is not, and a policy that hides everything below three stars is hard to defend.
Records that show you verified reviews
Regulators and platforms ask how you know this person bought something. Keep the order reference, the invitation and the timestamp. Invite all buyers rather than only happy ones, because selective invitations skew the average and can mislead.
The terms you agree with a review supplier matter too, and commerce reviews commercial contracts in England sets out what to put in writing. Keep that evidence for at least 24 months from publication, and decide who else can see it.
Practical checklist
- Collectioninvite all buyers, keep the order reference, invitation and timestamp.
- Disclosureput incentives, payments and free products next to the review.
- Moderationpublish a written policy, log removals with reasons, and do not delete genuine criticism.
- Record keepingkeep review evidence for at least 24 months from publication, or longer if required.
How enforcement reaches retailers
Enforcement rarely begins in court. It usually starts with a complaint or a platform report. Trading standards services enforce consumer protection locally and share intelligence with the CMA.
Under the DMCC Act, the CMA can fine up to 10% of global turnover or £300,000, whichever is higher, for review practices. In 2020 the CMA secured undertakings from Facebook and eBay to improve how they identify and remove fake reviews.
The ASA publishes a list of non-compliant online advertisers whose ads it has asked networks to remove.
Platforms respond faster than courts. Reviews can vanish and seller status can be withdrawn after a single credible report. For a small shop that loss often outweighs any fine.
Common questions
Do these rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
No. Consumer protection is reserved, so the same statute applies across the UK.
Can I reward a customer for leaving a review?
Usually, as long as the reward is not conditional on a positive rating and the incentive is disclosed. Tying a reward to five stars is the risk.
Who investigates fake reviews?
The CMA, trading standards services and the platforms. The ASA deals with advertising complaints rather than individual review pages.
Do I need permission to publish a customer's words?
The review text is usually fine to publish. Photographs, video and full names need a lawful basis, so ask first.
