The aim is to ensure reliable online reviews and combat unlawful ones.  The final text was adopted following consultation with the communications regulator AGCOM, the Data Protection Authority, the Ministry for Enterprise and Made in Italy and the Ministry of Tourism.  The Guidelines will be updated within one year of publication

The Italian Competition Authority has published the Guidelines on Online Reviews on its website at www.agcm.it.  The aim, as set out in Law No. 34 of 11 March 2026 (“Annual Law on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises”), is to combat unlawful online reviews relating to products, services and facilities offered by restaurants and hotels located in Italy.  The Guidelines aim to promote reliable online reviews from those who have actually used or purchased the product or service, given the significant influence they have on consumer choices.  The final text of the Guidelines was formally adopted by the Authority, after consulting the Communications Regulatory Authority, the Data Protection Authority, the Ministry for Enterprise and Made in Italy, and the Ministry of Tourism.

According to the Guidelines, traders offering goods and services that are the subject of reviews should provide consumers with clear and easily accessible information on how reviews on their platforms are published, managed, categorised and moderated, as well as on the criteria used to classify them as “verified” or “authentic”.  Businesses that provide access to consumer reviews, or that host or make available reviews published by consumers, should take reasonable and proportionate measures to ensure that such reviews accurately reflect the experiences of real consumers.  Furthermore, they should carry out appropriate checks to identify solutions in the event of unlawful reviews.

Finally, the Guidelines provide clarification on practices that may manipulate reviews, to facilitate their identification and prevent their use, as well as guidance on the timeliness of reviews and the management of outdated reviews.

The Guidelines will be supplemented or updated in the event of changes to national or EU legislation, or in the event of significant developments in case law or in their application.  They will, in any event, be reviewed within one year of their publication.

Rome, 19 October 2026

Text of the Guidelines