Closed petition: Require all review sites to offer free, independent arbitration to businesses

Closed on 1 January 2026

Introduce legislation requiring online review companies to offer a free, independent arbitration scheme to businesses. This scheme should enable a neutral third-party to assess a disputed negative review's fairness and accuracy before it goes public, which I think ensures a more transparent process.

In my view, negative reviews can be devastating for businesses and often published without any attempt at resolution. I believe many are malicious or contain defamatory language like "fraud" or "scam", and that an arbitration scheme could help protect businesses from unfair reputational damage and provide a faster, affordable alternative to costly libel action in the courts. My proposal isn't about silencing genuine feedback; I think it is about Government supporting business, and ensuring fairness and accountability for business and consumers.