Fake Reviews on Your Electrician Website: What Changes from 6 April 2025?
Published
Key takeaways
- From 6 April 2025, fake reviews are banned under new UK consumer law measures. (gov.uk)
- The government says website hosts are accountable for the reviews on their page. (gov.uk)
- The government says businesses and online platforms are legally required to take steps to prevent and remove fake reviews published on their websites. (gov.uk)
- The announcement points to practical steps such as detection and removal procedures. (gov.uk)
What changed on 6 April 2025
From 6 April 2025, the government press release says “outlandish fake reviews” are banned. (gov.uk)
It also states that:
- “Website hosts are accountable for the reviews on their page.” (gov.uk)
- Businesses and online platforms will be legally required to take steps to prevent and remove the publication of fake reviews on their websites. (gov.uk)
Who’s affected (especially electricians and local service businesses)
You’re likely to be affected if you:
- display customer reviews or testimonials on your electrician website
- run a platform or directory page that publishes reviews
- manage review content for clients (for example, as a website owner/operator)
The key point in the announcement is that responsibility sits with the business and/or platform publishing reviews, and website hosts are said to be accountable for the reviews on their page. (gov.uk)
What to do now
Based on what the government announcement says is required (and examples it gives), focus on two outcomes: prevent fake reviews being published and remove fake reviews if they appear. (gov.uk)
Put basic procedures in place
The press release says this could include having adequate detection and removal procedures. (gov.uk)
You can turn that into a simple plan:
- Decide who “owns” reviews on your site (named person/role).
- Document a check-and-remove process (what you check, how often, what triggers removal).
- Keep a record of removals and reasons (so you can show you took steps).
Practical checks for an electrician website
Use a quick review audit to spot risk areas:
| Area | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Review collection | Anything that could enable reviews that aren’t genuine |
| Publishing workflow | Reviews going live without any checks |
| Ongoing monitoring | No routine way to spot and remove suspicious reviews |
What stays the same
If you already treat reviews as part of your customer service and reputation management—checking what gets published and responding to issues—this change is about making sure you can show you’re taking steps to prevent and remove fake reviews, because fake reviews are now banned and hosts are stated to be accountable for reviews on their pages. (gov.uk)
Summary
The government announcement says that from 6 April 2025 fake reviews are banned, and that website hosts are accountable for the reviews on their page. It also says businesses and online platforms are legally required to take steps to prevent and remove fake reviews, with examples like detection and removal procedures. (gov.uk)