CMA Expands Fake Review Crackdown — Now Sweeping Review Platforms for Compliance
What happened
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced the next phase of its fake review enforcement. On 6 June 2026, the CMA confirmed it is now conducting an initial sweep of review platforms to identify those who need to do more to comply with the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act).
This expands the CMA's focus beyond individual businesses. The five formal investigations into Autotrader, Feefo, Dignity, Just Eat, and Pasta Evangelists — launched in March 2026 — are still underway. But the CMA is now also examining the platforms that host reviews, looking at whether they have adequate systems to detect and prevent fake and misleading reviews.
The CMA has also published compliance principles for social media platforms, requiring them to use algorithms to detect suspected fake reviews, provide tools for labelling incentivised content, and publish clear policies against hidden advertising.
The DMCC Act's three-month grace period ended in July 2025. Since then, the CMA has reviewed over 100 businesses, sent warning letters to 54 firms (90% of which made changes), and can now fine non-compliant businesses up to 10% of global annual turnover.
What this means for tradespeople
The CMA sweeping review platforms — not just individual businesses — is significant for trades. It means platforms like Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People, and Trustpilot will face scrutiny on whether they're doing enough to prevent fake reviews on their sites.
For tradespeople who compete honestly, this is good news. If you've lost jobs to competitors with suspiciously perfect review profiles on these platforms, enforcement at the platform level means those inflated ratings are more likely to be investigated and corrected.
It also reinforces that the rules apply to everyone. Whether you're a sole trader electrician or a national franchise, commissioning fake reviews, offering incentives for 5-star reviews, or selectively publishing only positive reviews are all now illegal under the DMCC Act.
What to do about it
- Make sure your own review practices are clean — no incentives, no staff-written reviews, no review gating
- If you suspect a competitor is buying fake reviews, you can report them to the CMA via their online reporting form
- Focus on collecting genuine reviews through legitimate channels — the enforcement trend is only going one direction
For a full breakdown of what's legal and what isn't, see our guide on the DMCC Act and Google Reviews.
Source: BCLP Law