Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to tackle fake negative reviews made online by individuals against small businesses.
The government introduced in Parliament the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Bill on 25 April which includes a delegated power to amend the list of automatically unfair practices set out in the Bill.
Government plans to address fake and misleading reviews that by adding these practices to the banned list following consultation this year. This will include where individuals are procured by traders, or are acting on their behalf, to denigrate another business by posting fake negative reviews.