Italy’s competition authority has imposed a €4 million fine on Trustpilot Group Plc, Trustpilot A/S and Trustpilot S.r.l. for engaging in unfair commercial practices linked to the reliability and transparency of online reviews.
The investigation found that the platform presented consumer ratings that were not always representative of actual customer experiences. According to the authority, Trustpilot failed to carry out sufficient checks to ensure the authenticity of reviews published on its platform, including those labeled as “verified.” This raised concerns about the credibility of content that users rely on when making purchasing decisions.
Authorities also highlighted structural issues in how reviews are collected. While Trustpilot promotes its services as tools designed to reduce fake or misleading content and to strengthen system integrity, the investigation revealed that businesses using the platform can selectively choose which customers to invite to leave a review. This practice may skew the overall picture presented to consumers, undermining the neutrality and representativeness of ratings.
In addition, Trustpilot was found to have inadequately disclosed key information to users. Consumers were not clearly informed about how the platform operates, the role of paid services used by businesses, or other relevant factors that could influence their understanding of the reviews displayed.
The authority concluded that these practices, including the use of interface design techniques commonly referred to as “dark patterns,” amounted to misleading conduct under Italian consumer protection law.