The European Union (EU) has committed to improving consumer
protection in the single market thanks to its "New Deal for
Consumers" strategy. As part of that plan, the Omnibus
Directive (2019/2161/EU) came into force on 7 January 2020. The
Omnibus Directive amends existing EU consumer law to strengthen
consumer protection and to expand its scope to cover digital goods,
content and services.
Among the key changes brought by the Omnibus Directive was the
introduction of stricter rules on
consumer reviews. Consumers' reviews can be found on
e-commerce platforms, booking agents' websites, social media,
reviews platforms and many other websites.
Fake or misleading reviews
In particular, the Omnibus Directive prohibits the publication
of fake reviews and endorsements (such as 'likes' on social
media) of products offered to EU consumers. Traders (i.e.
professional or business sellers) are not allowed to submit or
commission someone to submit fake reviews and
