Guidance

Reviews: guidance for businesses and agencies

Updated 28 August 2025

漏 Crown copyright 2025

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Online reviews play an important role in helping potential customers decide whether to buy products. Writing or commissioning fake reviews could lead to a substantial penalty or criminal action. Once discovered, it can damage a brand鈥檚 image and erode customers鈥� trust in reviews and review sites.鈥�

鈥淧roduct鈥� covers goods, services and digital content.

Our research estimates that more than half of UK adults use online reviews.听

Businesses that engage in misleading practices may be in breach of consumer protection law, which can lead to a fine of up to 10% of global turnover, and potentially be a criminal offence.听

This is a short guide to what you need to do to stay on the right side of consumer protection law.

For businesses whose products are being reviewed

  • do not pretend to be a customer and write reviews about your products or other businesses鈥� products
  • do not commission third parties to write fake reviews 鈥� you may be liable for their actions
  • if you are working with a third party 鈥� such as a PR, marketing or search engine optimisation (SEO) agency 鈥� make sure they also follow these rules
  • do not offer inducements (money or gifts) to customers to write positive reviews about your business

For PR, marketing or鈥� SEO 鈥痗辞尘辫补苍颈别蝉

  • do not write or arrange fake reviews on behalf of your clients 鈥� both you and your client risk breaking the law
  • ensure that your staff are adequately trained and your contracts, internal policies, corporate brochures and other related materials accurately reflect the requirements of the law
  • inform your clients that fake reviews are against the law

Further help and information

These materials do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

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