New UK legislation now makes it illegal for businesses to publish or support fake or misleading consumer reviews, including on platforms like Trustpilot. This change, which took effect in April 2025, means companies must take clear steps to ensure authentic reviews and to prevent the use of hidden incentives or fabricated testimonials.
Businesses operating online face stronger scrutiny and stricter duties to act responsibly when managing customer feedback. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued detailed guidance to help clarify these new obligations, aiming to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive practices within the review ecosystem.
Understanding these legal requirements is crucial for any company that collects or publishes reviews. Staying compliant not only builds trust with customers but also helps avoid legal risks and reputational damage in an era of increasing regulation.
Understanding Fake Reviews on Trustpilot
Fake and misleading reviews remain a significant challenge for both businesses and consumers using Trustpilot. These dishonest practices affect star ratings and distort customer perception, often impacting purchasing decisions and reputations.
Defining Fake and Misleading Reviews
Fake reviews are customer reviews that do not reflect a genuine purchasing or service experience. They are intentionally submitted to manipulate public perceptions or influence a company’s reputation.
Misleading reviews might involve exaggerating positive or negative experiences or hiding incentives such as free products or discounts provided for leaving a review. Businesses submitting feedback for their own profiles or soliciting reviews from non-customers fall under this definition.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 in the UK explicitly bans both fake and misleading reviews, including those commissioned or created by third parties. The law also prohibits concealing any incentive related to the submission of a review.
Common Types of Review Abuse
Review abuse can appear in several forms on Trustpilot:
- Self-Reviews: Businesses posting or encouraging staff to post positive reviews about themselves.
- Purchased or Commissioned Reviews: Outsourcing reviews to companies or individuals for payment, or offering incentives like discounts or free goods.
- Fake Negative Reviews: Rival businesses or dissatisfied parties leaving unfounded negative reviews to damage a competitor’s reputation.
- Review Suppression: Attempting to hide or remove legitimate negative feedback, or pressuring reviewers to revise honest opinions.
Retailers are now required to monitor reviews for authenticity and must not use tactics to influence the overall impression artificially. Companies found breaching these rules risk enforcement and reputational damage.
Impact on Star Ratings and Consumer Perceptions
Trustpilot’s star rating system is directly affected by the presence of fake or misleading reviews. Inflated ratings can attract customers under false pretences, while a surge in fabricated negative feedback can unjustifiably deter potential buyers.
Customers increasingly rely on customer reviews to guide purchase decisions. Research shows that trust is eroded when users suspect manipulation or see evidence of abusive practices.
Below is a summary of potential impacts:
| Impact Area | Effect of Fake Reviews |
|---|---|
| Star Ratings | Artificially high or low ratings, misleading value |
| Consumer Trust | Reduced confidence, hesitation to purchase |
| Business Reputation | Long-term damage, possible legal consequences |
For businesses, ensuring the integrity of their reviews is a legal obligation and a commercial necessity in maintaining genuine customer relationships.
Legal Framework: The DMCC and CMA Enforcement
New requirements under UK law establish clear responsibilities for online review platforms to combat fake and misleading reviews. Regulatory enforcement and official guidance now play a significant role in shaping business practices and outlining compliance standards.
Overview of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC)
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC) introduces express prohibitions and duties regarding fake consumer reviews. Under the DMCC, platforms like Trustpilot must take “reasonable and proportionate steps” to prevent, detect, and remove fake or misleading reviews.
The law covers a broad range of conduct, including facilitating reviews that are not based on genuine customer experiences or those that have been incentivised without clear disclosure. The DMCC makes it an offence for businesses to post or permit fake reviews or to present reviews in misleading ways such as only displaying positive feedback.
Importantly, the Act applies to both the platforms hosting reviews and the businesses reviewed, making both parties responsible for compliance. Expectations under the Act are not one-size-fits-all and may depend on factors such as scale, resources, and risk profile.
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Guidance
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued comprehensive guidance to clarify what constitutes “reasonable and proportionate steps” to comply with the DMCC. This guidance highlights practical measures businesses should consider, from robust fraud detection systems to improved moderation processes.
Among recommended practices are the use of automated tools to detect suspicious activity, methods for verifying review authenticity, and easily accessible consumer reporting systems. Sanctions for repeat offenders, such as suspensions or bans, are also endorsed.
According to the CMA, platforms are expected to promptly investigate flagged reviews and to take action against businesses found to be manipulating feedback. The guidance serves as a benchmark for compliance, particularly in the absence of specific legislative prescriptions.
Direct Enforcement Powers and Business Liability
The DMCC grants the CMA expanded enforcement powers over fake reviews. This includes the authority to investigate, issue warnings, and require the removal of unlawful content. In some cases, the CMA may impose direct financial penalties or seek court orders against non-compliant businesses or platforms.
Key enforcement features include:
- Investigations of both platforms and businesses
- Formal notices requiring corrective action
- Fines for serious or repeated breaches
Liability under the DMCC is not limited to the platform; reviewed businesses can also be held accountable for misleading review practices. Failure to follow CMA instructions or to implement necessary checks may result in significant legal and reputational consequences.
Business Obligations and Compliance Strategies
Effective compliance with UK law requires clear measures to identify and prevent fake reviews, transparent handling of incentives, and a robust risk management approach. Businesses are expected to take reasonable steps that align with recent Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 requirements.
Identification and Prevention of Fake Reviews
Businesses must introduce procedures to detect and remove fake consumer reviews from their platforms. This includes monitoring for suspicious patterns, such as repeated reviews from similar devices, unnatural review timing, or duplicated content.
Regular audits and use of automated detection tools are strongly recommended. Staff training on recognising the hallmarks of inauthentic feedback can further reduce the risk.
Engaging third-party review platforms like Trustpilot requires due diligence to ensure their anti-fraud systems align with legal obligations. Transparency in rejecting or removing potentially fake reviews, and a clear process for consumers to report suspicious content, are essential components of an effective compliance system.
Handling Incentivised and Unfair Commercial Practices
Offering incentives in exchange for reviews, such as discounts or free products, is strictly regulated. The law now prohibits hiding the fact that a review was incentivised, and all such arrangements must be clearly disclosed.
Unfair commercial practices, like commissioning fake reviews or misrepresenting consumer feedback, are banned under the latest regulations. Agreements with influencers, professional reviewers, or marketing agencies must explicitly forbid the creation or publication of misleading content.
A documented policy should outline how incentives are managed and disclosed. Key practices include:
- Transparent labelling of incentivised reviews.
- Prohibiting any requirement for positive content in exchange for an incentive.
- Monitoring compliance among partners and third parties.
Policy Requirements and Risk Assessment
Each business must maintain a formal policy for handling consumer reviews. This policy should address due diligence on both internal processes and external service providers.
A periodic risk assessment is recommended to identify any gaps or vulnerabilities. This assessment should cover:
- Review moderation controls
- Training requirements
- Incident response protocols
A table can help summarise key obligations:
| Obligation | Description |
|---|---|
| Ban on fake reviews | Prohibit submission and commissioning |
| Disclosure of incentives | Reviews must note any incentives involved |
| Monitoring and audits | Ongoing checks to verify compliance |
Documentation of compliance efforts is advisable, both to satisfy regulatory requirements and demonstrate good faith if challenged by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Trustpilot Guidelines and Best Practices
Trustpilot sets out detailed requirements for businesses collecting and managing customer reviews. Adhering to these standards helps maintain a credible star rating and supports compliance with relevant consumer protection law.
Review Collection and Moderation Procedures
Trustpilot forbids incentivising customers to leave reviews. This includes offering discounts, monetary rewards, loyalty points, gifts, coupons, or referral bonuses in exchange for feedback.
All reviews must be collected impartially. Businesses should not select only satisfied customers or direct reviewing processes in a manner that skews results. Reviews cannot be collected on company premises without explicit permission from Trustpilot, and businesses should not instruct customers to use company devices (such as tablets or computers) to post reviews on the business.
Trustpilot’s moderation process ensures reviews comply with community guidelines. Reviews containing personal data, harmful content, or that are clearly fake are removed from the platform. Automated and manual checks are in place, with further oversight by the Content Integrity Team to enhance compliance and platform reliability.
Reporting and Responding to Suspicious Reviews
Businesses may report or flag reviews believed to violate Trustpilot’s guidelines, such as those suspected to be fake, defamatory, or containing prohibited information.
Proper use of the flagging tool is critical; misuse, such as systematically flagging negative reviews without cause, is not tolerated. Each flagged review is subject to investigation by Trustpilot’s agents. This process may involve verifying purchase or service experiences or requesting further details from both reviewer and business.
Upon resolution, Trustpilot will either remove the review if found in breach or reinstate it if compliant. The business is notified of the outcome, supporting transparency. Consistent and responsible reporting helps safeguard genuine customer feedback and the integrity of the star rating system.
Maintaining Transparent Customer Feedback
Transparency is central to Trustpilot’s approach. Businesses are discouraged from selectively soliciting reviews and must avoid hiding or manipulating genuine feedback.
Published reviews—including those critical of the business—should remain visible unless proven to breach guidelines. Engaging constructively with both positive and negative reviews demonstrates accountability and builds consumer trust.
Clear communication around how feedback is gathered supports openness. Trustpilot recommends keeping processes open, enabling all recent customers to share their experiences. Visibility of all authentic feedback ensures that the star rating reflects a fair and accurate picture of customer sentiment.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Failing to comply with the UK’s rules on fake reviews exposes businesses to serious legal, financial, and reputational risks. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 gives new enforcement powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), making compliance critical.
Legal and Financial Penalties
From 6 April 2025, it became illegal in the UK to publish, commission, or facilitate fake or misleading reviews. This covers both self-authored fake reviews and those arranged through third parties or incentives not disclosed to the public.
The CMA can now take direct action against businesses under the DMCC Act. Financial penalties can reach significant sums, with potential fines up to 10% of global annual turnover or a fixed penalty of up to £300,000, depending on the seriousness and frequency of the breach.
Businesses may also face civil claims or court orders to cease unlawful practices, repay customers, or cover investigation costs. Legal proceedings may be public, which increases risk for larger companies and online platforms.
Key legal risks include:
- Large fines
- Court injunctions
- Requirement to change business practices
- Consumer compensation orders
Enforcement Actions and Reputation Impact
The CMA has the authority to investigate, audit, and demand information related to customer reviews. This includes reviewing processes Trustpilot and other platforms use to detect and remove prohibited fake or incentivised content.
Enforcement can involve site audits, public warning notices, or mandatory compliance checks. Sites found to be breaching the law may be named publicly, resulting in negative media coverage and loss of business partnerships.
Reputational damage often follows regulatory action. Loss of consumer trust, negative press, and reduced marketplace visibility can hurt brand value. For platforms like Trustpilot, such enforcement could deter new business clients and lead to a decrease in user engagement.
A business’s long-term credibility can suffer, impacting customer retention and acquisition. Competitors that comply with the law may use non-compliance cases to their commercial advantage, further increasing reputational harm.
Frequently Asked Questions
UK law prohibits posting fake reviews and requires businesses to take steps to ensure the authenticity of consumer feedback on platforms like Trustpilot. Policies on incentives, processes for reporting suspicious activity, and guidance for identifying fake reviews are key aspects of compliance and consumer protection.
What are the legal repercussions for posting false reviews on Trustpilot?
Businesses or individuals found posting or commissioning fake reviews may face legal sanctions under the UK’s 2025 legislation. Penalties can include fines and enforcement action by regulatory authorities.
Intentionally misleading consumers with fabricated reviews can also damage a company’s reputation and result in removal of, or restrictions on, the published content.
How can businesses ensure compliance with Trustpilot’s guidelines when soliciting reviews?
Businesses should never offer incentives such as money, discounts, or gifts in exchange for reviews, unless such incentives are clearly disclosed.
Policies should be published that prohibit fake reviews and outline procedures for risk assessment, detection, and removal of suspicious reviews. Businesses should use their own equipment and accounts, not customer devices, when managing review requests.
In what ways can consumers differentiate between genuine and fake reviews on Trustpilot?
Genuine reviews often describe specific experiences, both positive and negative, and provide detailed feedback. Fake reviews may use vague language, be overly enthusiastic or negative, and sometimes repeat similar wording across multiple posts.
Consumers should also look for a high volume of reviews posted in a short time frame or patterns suggesting non-authentic activity.
What actions can a business take if they suspect competitors are using fake reviews to gain an advantage?
If a business suspects that a competitor is benefitting from fake reviews, they should collect evidence such as screenshots or links. Contacting Trustpilot via its reporting tools allows for an official investigation.
Businesses may also seek legal advice or report severe instances to regulatory authorities for further action.
How should a business report suspected fake reviews on Trustpilot?
Trustpilot provides a reporting function that allows businesses to flag suspicious reviews directly through their platform dashboard.
Detailed information and supporting evidence should be included to assist Trustpilot’s investigation team in reviewing the reported content efficiently.
What are Trustpilot’s policies regarding incentivised reviews and how do they align with consumer protection laws?
Trustpilot’s policies prohibit undisclosed incentivised reviews, requiring any review written in exchange for a benefit to be clearly identified. This is in line with UK consumer protection law, which bans concealed incentives and mandates transparency.
Failing to disclose incentives can result in the removal of reviews and potential legal consequences for non-compliance.