Marketers and business owners take heed. New rules have come into play this month which mean “outrageous fake reviews and sneaky hidden fees are now banned once and for all in a major win for consumers right across the UK” which may mean you have some work to do.
The Unfair Commercial Practices (UCP) provisions in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 came into force on 6 April 2025. The news has been hard to miss due to wide reporting in a good cross section of the media The Guardian, The Sun and Which? to name but a few.
Why should you care about reviews – fake or not?
One thing is for sure in the world of digital and social media – the pace of change is rapid and regulation needs to be put in place to protect consumers from dodgy practices.
I always say to clients that we live in a ‘review and recommend’ society and what people say online really can count for something. I hear lots of interesting anecdotal stories about reviews. An author I interviewed recently for the Penny Podcast told me her publisher advised 100 reviews on Amazon is the sweet spot for book sales. There are some convincing stats about reviews too. 98% of consumers read reviews before shopping and 80% of shoppers have used their phones inside physical stores to see product reviews.
However, we’ve all come to realise in the advent of fake news and disinformation is that not all reviews are genuine. Some reviewers are incentivised by brands giving free products and payment which they don’t disclose, while negative reviews are placed to discredit and blot reputations. Moderation of bad reviews by deleting them manipulates consumer opinion into appearing more positive.
The facts:
- 11% to 15% of all reviews for three common product categories (consumer electronics, home and kitchen, sports and outdoors) are fake
- 39% of businesses say that they have been directly affected by fake reviews on platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, Trip Advisor and Reviews.co.uk
- Faking ‘all positive’ reviews is in breach of the CAP code which clearly states over moderation of negative reviews Marketers who break the law risk criminal prosecution or civil action
- Brands don’t have complete control over reviews; Facebook Reviews can be switched off but Google reviews cannot and Amazon only deletes those that violate their terms
- With all this in mind, it’s clearly a complicated area to navigate but it’s possible to do so successfully, without falling foul of new laws, and now is a good time to take action.
How to get your review policy in good shape
Tackling fake reviews is a necessity; website hosts are now accountable for reviews on their sites and by law need to take steps to prevent and remove fake reviews which appear on them. The upside of this is a win for consumers and brands as it will engender trust.
Here are some steps to take when you revisit your policy framework for managing reviews across your business. This is likely to involve several teams across the business, depending on what size you are and you should involve your external digital and marketing partners in the process too.
- Audit: Take stock of the reviews you have on site and elsewhere. How they are monitored and managed, who is responsible for this on a day to day basis and what the reporting lines are. Pinpoint any gaps, grey or risk areas which need to be resolved. Ensure you have all the policies and guidelines for any other platform which hosts reviews of your brand and product to ensure you can challenge any perceived wrongdoing
- Scope: Map out any new requirements and retire outdated practice. This could be as simple as checklist of what to do and not to do anymore. Additionally, your listening, monitoring and CRM tools should be looked at to ensure there is healthy and robust monitoring in place. Gather in details of other tools for a comprehensive review to see if you need to upgrade or change
- UGC and CRM compliancy: If you’re putting products in the hands of reviewers you will need to ensure you’re not breaching any CAP codes. If your asking buyers to leave reviews double check any incentives you offer such as discounts and loyalty points are not venturing into ‘paid for’ reviews
- Employees and marketing advocacy: We all encourage our teams and suppliers to be positive about our businesses. If someone is working as an employee or an agent and posts any kind of comment or review they must disclose the connection. Ensure this message is communicated across the business and marketing ecosystem with clarity and strong examples
Further reading:
Want to find out more? Here’s some excellent background information and a tool for you to try out on your website – enjoy!
- This excellent report is available for free from Which? Tackling Fake and Misleading Reviews
- SproutSocial has produced a strategy guide which, while promoting its own platform, does give some excellent advice
- Consumers use free tools like Fakespot to check if reviews are real – why not give it a go yourself?
Drop us a note if you need any help! eva@homeofsocial.com