The Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers Act

A government study from April 2023 revealed that 15% of reviews in popular e-commerce categories are fake.

Our analysis shows the problem is far more severe, with over 1/3rd of reviews being fake.

There were no specific UK laws targeting fake reviews. However, the upcoming 2024 Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers Bill changed this.

From 2024, Fake Reviews Became Illegal

The DMCC Act makes it an offence for companies (and their employees or agents) to fake or manipulate their reviews.

It requires companies to be able to prove that they’ve audited their reviews and to have robust and ongoing fake review compliance policies in place.

The ‘Reasonable and Proportionate’ Requirements

Businesses must:

Have procedures in place to regularly and proactively assess the risk of their consumers being exposed to fake reviews
Have policies and procedures in place to detect suspicious reviews
Have mechanisms in place to remove fake reviews
Sanction users and businesses that commission, facilitate, or otherwise arrange for the posting of fake reviews
Implement a reporting mechanism that allows consumers to report suspicious activity

And:

Must undertake regular evaluations of the effectiveness of their policies, processes, and monitoring systems

Major Fines for Businesses Caught Faking

Under the Bill's enforcement powers, failure to comply with DMCC Act will result in substantial fines of up to 10% of global turnover.

The TruthEngine^® is Fully DMCC-Ready

The TruthEngine® is the world’s first fully-independent fake review detection system. It can automatically detect fake reviews on every major platform including Amazon, Google, TripAdvisor, TrustPilot & Apple.

It meets and exceeds every requirement of the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act.

Doing Nothing is Not an Option

Businesses are required to PROVE their DMCC Act compliance.

1 in 3 reviews are fake. Soon half will be. Fake reviews are impossible to spot by eye.

Doing nothing is not an option.

Get in touch today to get compliant and stay compliant.