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ARTICLE · 29 JUNE 2026

CMA Consumer Protection Enforcement In 2026: The CMA Flexes Its New Powers

Winston Taylor
Explore more from Winston Taylor

The Competition and Markets Authority's new enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Markets Act 2024 are enabling swift action against consumer protection violations. From drip pricing to fake reviews, the CMA is imposing substantial fines and ordering direct refunds to consumers, with early settlement offering significant penalty reductions for businesses that acknowledge fault and cooperate from the outset.

United KingdomConsumer Protection
Debbie Heywood
Debbie Heywood

The latest wave of consumer protection announcements from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) shows its direct enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Markets Act 2024 (DMCCA) enable it to move swiftly and issue significant penalties for non-compliance.

The CMA announced a major package of action covering online pricing practices including drip pricing and pressure selling under DMCCA in November 2025. As a result of a cross-sector review, the CMA identified potential compliance concerns in 14 sectors (including live event ticketing and driving schools) across compliance issues including drip pricing, fake online reviews, and misleading sales practices. The CMA launched enforcement action and sent advisory letters to 100 businesses, and we are now seeing the outcome of some of these actions, as well as the culmination of some pre-DMCCA consumer protection enforcement from the CMA.

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