A major new antitrust damages action has been launched in the United Kingdom against Rightmove, which is one of the biggest collective competition claims in the digital platform space. The case, filed before the Competition Appeal Tribunal, accuses the company of abusing its dominant position in the market for online property portal services.
The claim has been brought by Jeremy Steven Newman, a former member of the Competition and Markets Authority panel, who is seeking to act as class representative on behalf of approximately 7,200 businesses. These include estate agents, letting agents, and property developers across England, Wales, and Scotland that have paid fees to Rightmove over the past six years to list properties on its platform.
At the core of the case are allegations that Rightmove breached both UK and EU competition law, including Article 102 TFEU and Section 18 of the Competition Act 1998, by charging excessive and unfair prices while simultaneously engaging in exclusionary practices designed to limit competition. The claim argues that these practices allowed the company to maintain and reinforce its market power, effectively weakening rival platforms and reducing competitive pressure.
According to the filing, Rightmove’s conduct had a self-reinforcing effect typical of two-sided digital markets. By allegedly restricting competition, the platform became more attractive to users on both sides—agents and property seekers—while diminishing the viability of competing portals. This dynamic, the claim asserts, enabled Rightmove to charge higher fees than would have been possible under conditions of effective competition.
The proposed class action is structured as an opt-out proceeding, meaning affected businesses will automatically be included unless they choose to withdraw. This approach reflects the practical challenges faced by smaller firms in pursuing complex and costly competition litigation individually, particularly where individual losses may be relatively modest compared to the overall scale of harm.
The total value of the claim is currently estimated at around £1.6 billion, representing the difference between the fees actually paid by class members and the lower prices they argue would have prevailed in a competitive market. In addition to damages, the claim seeks interest and legal costs.
The case also highlights the growing role of collective actions in UK competition enforcement, particularly in digital markets where network effects and platform dynamics can amplify alleged abuses of dominance. If certified by the Tribunal, the proceedings will test not only the substance of the allegations but also the effectiveness of the UK’s collective redress regime in addressing large-scale competition harm.
Rightmove has not yet formally responded to the claim, and the Tribunal will first need to decide whether to certify the case as suitable for collective proceedings. That certification stage is likely to be closely watched, given the size of the claim and the broader implications for competition litigation against dominant digital platforms.
