Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

UK trader recommendation platforms and fake reviews: DMCCA 2024 duties, CMA expectations and powers, and Braganza limits on contractual discretion and appeals

Published on: 07 May 2025

Published by a LexisNexis Commercial expert

Legal News

Article summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expects online TRPs to act against businesses that seek to inflate their ratings through fake or misleading reviews. However, some businesses may resist—arguing the TRP was wrong to impose penalties and that they have suffered significant damage as a consequence. How can TRPs find the right balance in these circumstances?

What are TRPs and what does UK law say about fake reviews?

Trader recommendation platforms, or TRPs, are sites or apps that publish consumer reviews of businesses. Consumers value them because they can see what others thought about a business they are considering buying from; indeed, some TRPs also require businesses on their platform to pass a vetting process before they can feature on the site or the app. Businesses favour them because they generate leads—particularly from customers such as homeowners, where opportunities for repeat work (for example, building projects) are typically limited. There is substantial variation in business models, with some TRPs charging by reference to leads generated, whilst others operate a subscription model...

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