UK Bill Cracks Down on 'Subscription Traps,' Fake Online Reviews

pcmag.com:

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today introduced a new bill that will make it easier for the agency to crack down on fake reviews and subscription traps, the latter of which it says costs folks £1.6 billion [$2 billion] a year.

"From abuse of power by tech giants, to fake reviews, scams, and rip-offs like being caught in a subscription trap [which make it difficult to exit a contract]—consumers deserve better," Business and Trade Minister Kevin Hollinrake said in a statement(Opens in a new window). "The new laws we're delivering today will empower the CMA to directly enforce consumer law, strengthen competition in digital markets, and ensure that people across the country keep hold of their hard-earned cash."

The bill grants the CMA, and its Digital Markets Unit (DMU), the ability to "directly enforce consumer law rather than go through lengthy court processes." Also on tap:

Enable the government to ban the practice of facilitating fake reviews or advertising consumer reviews without taking reasonable steps to check they are genuine.

Ensure consumers can exit subscriptions in a straightforward, cost-effective, and timely way.

Require that businesses issue a reminder to consumers when a free trial or introductory offer is coming to an end.

The bill covers companies the CMA deems to have "strategic market status in key digital services." It doesn't name names, but the legislation heavily hinted at firms like Google, Apple, and Amazon, which may be instructed to open their data to rival search engines, or increase the transparency of their app store or marketplace review system.

Fail to abide by the new rules, and companies may be fined up to 10% of their global annual turnover. In the case of someone like