The UK government has published a draft bill to tackle fake reviews, subscription traps, and other abuses in the digital economy. The new legislation will also enable the government to ban the practice of facilitating fake reviews or advertising consumer reviews without taking reasonable steps to check they are genuine.

The bill also includes a Digital Markets Unit within the CMA, which will be given new powers to tackle the excessive dominance that a small number of tech companies have held over consumers and businesses in the UK. The unit will be able to step in to set tailored rules on how they behave and operate. If firms are deemed to have strategic market status in key digital services, the DMU will be able to step in to set tailored rules on how they behave and operate.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) welcomes the government's draft Consumer Rights Bill, which will give the CMA new powers to tackle fake online reviews. The bill will allow the CMA to fine businesses that ask their staff or agencies to write fake reviews on their behalf, or write them themselves. The CMA will also be able to fine businesses that ask their own customers to write fake reviews on their behalf, or write them themselves.