Online Reviews and the Omnibus Directive: What You Need to Know

Customer reviews have become essential for boosting sales and building trust. But since 2022, collecting and displaying reviews isn't just a marketing tactic—it’s a regulated activity under European law.

We’re talking about the Omnibus Directive, a regulation that requires online businesses to be fully transparent with the reviews they display. If you use customer feedback to grow your store, this article is for you. We’ll explain what’s changed and how to stay compliant.

According to the European Commission, over 55% of websites displaying customer reviews don’t comply with EU laws. In a study across 26 countries:

• 104 websites didn’t explain how they collect or verify reviews.

• 118 didn’t clarify whether reviews came from real customers.

• 176 failed to disclose whether reviews were incentivized.

The takeaway? Consumer trust is at risk—and the Omnibus Directive was created to solve that.

The Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161 updates and harmonizes consumer protection laws across the EU. In Spain, it was transposed through Royal Decree-Law 24/2021 and has been in force since May 28, 2022.

The directive focuses on two key areas:

• Price reductions: Businesses must display the lowest price applied in the last 30 days.

• Customer reviews: Reviews must be authentic and verifiable.

To combat fake or manipulated reviews, the directive requires any business publishing online reviews to:

1. Disclose whether the reviews are verified.

2. Explain the verification process used.

3. Avoid incentivized only positive reviews.

4. Publish both positive and negative reviews, unless they breach moderation guidelines.

In short: real reviews, from real customers, with full transparency.

Absolutely. At Revi, we apply strict standards to ensure that all reviews are authentic, fair, and verified. Our platform:

• Only allows verified buyers to submit reviews.

• Clearly marks reviews with a “Verified Purchase” label.

• Doesn’t allow  incentives for only positive reviews.

• Publishes all reviews, both positive and negative, after fair moderation.

• Offers a Verified Store badge to build trust with your audience.

If you manage reviews manually or with non-specialized tools, you are responsible for compliance:

• Can you prove your reviews come from actual customers?

• Do you clearly inform users about your verification process?

• Do you moderate content fairly and transparently?

Non-compliance may lead to fines of up to €300,000 or 4% of your annual revenue.

• The Omnibus Directive requires greater transparency and authenticity in customer reviews.

• Reviews must be verified, not incentivized, and properly moderated.

• Revi helps you stay fully compliant while building trust with your customers.

🎯 Want to comply with the law and build lasting trust?
With Revi, customer reviews don’t just boost conversions—they do it with full transparency and legal certainty.