Enforcing UK consumer law: The CMA’s enhanced role

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) introduces important changes to the UK’s consumer law regime.  This includes both substantive changes to certain areas of consumer law, including in respect of fake reviews, drip pricing and subscription contracts, and stronger enforcement powers for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regarding consumer law infringements.

Mark Daniels and Richard Whish KC discuss some of the key changes, including new powers for the CMA to impose turnover-based fines for breaches of consumer law.  They also discuss when the consumer law reforms are expected to come into force and how this timing differs to the commencement date for the provisions in the DMCC Act introducing the UK's new digital regulatory regime for large tech firms with Strategic Market Status and UK competition law reforms.