Petition · Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Require all review sites to offer free, independent arbitration to businesses

Closed 36 signatures

What the petition asks

Introduce legislation requiring online review companies to offer a free, independent arbitration scheme to businesses. This scheme should enable a neutral third-party to assess a disputed negative review's fairness and accuracy before it goes public, which I think ensures a more transparent process.
In my view, negative reviews can be devastating for businesses and often published without any attempt at resolution. I believe many are malicious or contain defamatory language like "fraud" or "scam", and that an arbitration scheme could help protect businesses from unfair reputational damage and provide a faster, affordable alternative to costly libel action in the courts. My proposal isn't about silencing genuine feedback; I think it is about Government supporting business, and ensuring fairness and accountability for business and consumers.

Timeline

1 Jul 2025 Petition opened for signatures
1 Jan 2026 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 36
Status Closed
Department Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
Opened 1 Jul 2025
Closed 1 Jan 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 25 Aug 2026.