Answer
Yes. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has made it unlawful to write, commission or publish fake consumer reviews, or reviews that hide that they were incentivised. Businesses that publish reviews must take reasonable steps to prevent and remove banned reviews. The CMA can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover.
The short answer
Fake reviews are explicitly banned in the UK. The consumer protection provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) came into force on 6 April 2025 and added fake and misleading reviews to the list of practices that are always considered unfair.
What is banned
| Practice | Status |
|---|---|
| Writing or submitting fake reviews | Banned |
| Commissioning or paying someone to write fake reviews | Banned |
| Publishing reviews that conceal they were incentivised | Banned |
| Offering services to create or facilitate fake reviews | Banned |
| Presenting review information in a misleading way, such as hiding negative reviews | Banned |
| Genuine reviews with incentives clearly disclosed | Permitted under the Act, but check platform rules |
Fake reviews can be positive reviews about your own business or negative reviews about competitors.
Obligations if you publish reviews
Businesses that host or display consumer reviews, including on their own website, must take reasonable and proportionate steps to:
- Prevent fake and concealed incentivised reviews from being published
- Detect and remove them when they appear
- Avoid presenting review information in a misleading way
The CMA has published guidance (CMA208) explaining what reasonable steps look like.
Penalties
The DMCC Act gave the CMA power to investigate and fine businesses directly, without going to court first. Fines can reach the higher of £300,000 or 10% of global annual turnover. The CMA has already secured commitments from major platforms to strengthen their systems against fake reviews.
What businesses should do
- Never write, buy or commission reviews
- Ask every customer for honest feedback, not only happy ones
- Disclose any incentive clearly, and check platform policies first
- Publish a review policy explaining how reviews are collected and moderated
- Moderate consistently, removing only reviews that are genuinely fake, abusive or unlawful
- Brief your team and agencies on what is prohibited
Why genuine reviews matter for visibility
Reviews influence local search rankings, conversion rates and increasingly whether AI assistants recommend your business. Building genuine reviews is both the legal and the effective approach. See our guide to local SEO and Google Business Profile.
This page provides general information, not legal advice. Refer to CMA guidance or a qualified adviser for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I offer customers an incentive to leave a review in the UK?
Incentivised reviews are not automatically banned, but a review that conceals the fact it was incentivised is a banned practice. Any incentive must be clearly disclosed, and many review platforms prohibit incentives entirely under their own policies.
Can I delete negative reviews from my website?
Selectively suppressing or hiding negative reviews to present a misleading picture is likely to breach consumer law. You can remove reviews that are genuinely fake, abusive or unlawful, under a consistent and transparent policy.
Are businesses responsible for fake reviews posted by others?
Businesses that publish consumer reviews have a duty to take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove fake and concealed incentivised reviews.
Sources and further reading