United Kingdom: Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill including consumer protection regulation entered into force

On 6 April 2025, consumer protection measures in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 come into effect, enabled by Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 272. The Act prohibits entities from engaging in "unfair commercial practices", including misleading actions or omissions, aggressive sales tactics, and conduct that falls short of professional diligence requirements. The new regime introduces explicit bans on harmful practices including fake reviews (where businesses post or commission false endorsements), drip pricing (where mandatory fees are hidden until late in the purchase process), and the use of unfair or unbalanced contract terms. The Act also enables the government to expand the list of banned practices over time.