Posts tagged #compliance
9 posts
How a UK dental practice should reply to Google reviews without breaking patient confidentiality (2026)
The NHS website no longer takes reviews, so patients judge a practice on Google. What GDC Standards allow in a public reply, why not to use the patient's name, three safe replies, and how to ask for reviews under the DMCC Act.
Fake reviews became illegal in the UK on 6 April 2025. Here is what a garage, salon or restaurant has to change about asking for them
The DMCC Act put fake and undisclosed incentivised reviews on the UK banned list, with fines of up to 10% of turnover and the CMA enforcing directly. Most small firms have never read it. The habits it bans are common, and the legal way to ask is simpler than the old way.
How to get a fake Google review removed in the EU: the two routes, and the one most owners never use
Google's own report button works for spam and profanity. For a review that is simply false, EU businesses have a second route under the Digital Services Act, with a legal duty on Google to act. Here is how to write a notice that gets read, and what to do while you wait.
Google reviews widget on an EU website: what GDPR actually asks of you
Showing Google reviews on your own site is legal in the EU. The trouble is in the plumbing: many widgets send every visitor's IP address to Google before the cookie banner is answered. Here is how to check yours in two minutes, and what to change.
The EU AI Act Is Now Live for Your Business: What August 2, 2026 Actually Changes for Restaurants and Local SMBs
The AI Act's transparency rules apply from August 2, 2026 — and most of what you've read about them is wrong. What a restaurant or local business actually must do, what got postponed to 2027, the real fines, and a 30-minute compliance checklist.
The 2026 EU Review Law Compliance Checklist for Local Businesses
Review gating, undisclosed incentives, and hidden negatives can now cost EU businesses up to 4% of turnover. This is the plain-English checklist to get compliant in an afternoon — plus a free 60-second self-check to see where you stand.
Fake Reviews Are Now a Legal Liability in the EU: What the 2026 Crackdown Means for Your Business
Buying or faking reviews has been illegal across the EU since 2022 — but 2026 is when it got teeth. Fines reach 4% of turnover, competitors can sue, and a February 2026 court ruling just tightened the rules. Here's what every SMB must change now.
Review Gating Is Dead in 2026. Here's What Replaced It (and What Actually Works)
Review gating — screening customers by sentiment before showing them the Google review link — was the dominant SMB review tactic for a decade. Google just nuked it. Three white-hat alternatives that get you the same reviews without the policy risk.
Google's April 2026 Review Policy Bombshell: 4 New Bans Every SMB Must Action This Week
Asking customers to mention a staff name is now a policy violation. So is the iPad-on-the-counter review prompt. Here's what got banned, why Google is actually enforcing it, and the four changes to make before Friday.