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ARTICLE · 11 APRIL 2025

The CMA's New Consumer Protection Enforcement Powers

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The CMA has finalised its guidance on its new consumer protection enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA)...

United KingdomAntitrust/Competition Law
Rachel Carter
Rachel Carter
Matthew Redfern
Matthew Redfern
Martha Crnkovic
Martha Crnkovic
Octavia Campbell
Octavia Campbell

The CMA has finalised its guidance on its new consumer protection enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), which came into effect over the weekend (on 6 April 2025).

The DMCCA introduced significant changes to the consumer law landscape, including granting the CMA the ability to enforce consumer law directly against businesses, without having to go to court, and updating the list of banned unfair commercial practices (UCPs).

Direct enforcement by the CMA

Previously, UCPs were banned under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which set out how providers of goods or services should conduct themselves in dealings with their customers. Under that regime, all enforcement action against UCPs (and breaches of certain consumer law provisions in other legislation, such as the Consumer Rights Act 2015) had to be brought in the courts. This led to concerns of under-enforcement.

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