The Competition and Markets Authority has launched investigations into Autotrader, Feefo, Dignity, Just Eat, and Pasta Evangelists as part of a crackdown on fake and misleading reviews. Just Eat is being investigated by the CMA over whether its ratings system inflated some restaurant and grocer star ratings, giving a misleading picture of quality. Dignity is under investigation by the CMA into whether it asked staff to write positive reviews about the firm's crematoria services. Autotrader and Feefo are being investigated by the CMA over whether one-star reviews moderated by Feefo were hidden on the platform and did not count towards star ratings. Pasta Evangelists is being investigated by the CMA over allegations it offered customers discounts for leaving five-star reviews on delivery apps without this being disclosed.
This regulatory push is underpinned by significant legal changes that came into effect last year. Since April last year, companies have been banned from certain tactics around online reviews under law, such as fake posts, paid-for reviews not clearly marked as incentivised, and hiding negative feedback. In April 2025, several practices relating to online reviews became 'banned practices' under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, meaning they are automatically deemed unfair and illegal. This includes obtaining and posting fake reviews and paid-for reviews which are not clearly marked as incentivised, creating a clearer legal framework for enforcement.
The CMA's current actions build upon previous interventions in the digital marketplace. The CMA has already secured commitments from Google and Amazon to beef up their systems to identify and remove fake reviews. In Amazon's case, it promised tighter scrutiny and sanctions for rogue sellers and businesses falling foul of the rules. The CMA has the power to issue fines as a last resort if firms found breaking the law fail to comply with demands.
The investigations are opening cases across sectors including funerals, food delivery and car sales. The CMA's work includes looking at the key stages in the online reviews ecosystem – from how reviews are obtained to the way they are moderated and displayed as well as the star ratings people so often rely on. By taking cases across each of these stages, the CMA is investigating multiple practices which can shape what people see when they search, shop or book online.
Welcomed the news and urged consumers to fundamentally change how they assess reviews.
Online reviews play a significant role in people’s decisions, influencing billions of pounds of UK spending every year. Research from Which? found that 89% of people use reviews when researching a product or service.
An online reviews expert's company has found over half of reviews are fake.
The CMA said while it is investigating the five businesses it has not reached any conclusions about whether consumer law has been broken.
The specific evidence the CMA has gathered against each company to initiate the investigations has not been disclosed, leaving details of the alleged violations unclear. It is also unknown whether the companies under investigation have previously been warned or fined for similar practices, as their enforcement history remains undisclosed. How long the investigations are expected to take and when findings or potential fines might be announced has not been confirmed, with timelines still to be determined.
Whether other major platforms or companies beyond those named are also under scrutiny by the CMA is not specified, raising questions about the full extent of the regulatory focus. The exact impact of the alleged practices on consumer decisions and financial losses has not been quantified, making it difficult to assess the scale of harm.