Force majeure and contractual performance in light of the Middle East conflict
As the conflict in the Middle East continues, growing disruption across global supply chains is placing increasing strain on businesses’ contractual rights and obligations. For companies with direct exposure to the region, or whose operations depend on goods, services or infrastructure affected by events there, the key question is often whether those events excuse delay or non-performance under existing contracts.
What the CMA’s latest green claims guidance means for businesses
Businesses making environmental claims about their products or services will need to pay closer attention to compliance at every stage of the supply chain following new guidance from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA’s updated consumer protection guidance takes a broader, end-to-end view of how environmental claims are developed, substantiated and communicated, making clear that responsibility may extend well beyond the business that ultimately markets the product.
CMA imposes £473,000 penalty for failure to comply with information notice
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has imposed a £473,000 penalty on a private car park management company for failing to respond to an information notice. The decision, issued in December 2025 and published in February 2026, is the first use of the CMA’s enhanced fining powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) in consumer protection enforcement.
Dynamic Pricing: Legal considerations for UK businesses
Dynamic pricing tools are increasingly shaping how businesses set prices. Across online marketplaces, subscription services, energy providers and travel companies, automated systems adjust prices based on demand, supply and market conditions. While this can improve margins and speed up commercial decision-making, it is also attracting closer scrutiny from consumer protection regulators.
EU Commission Signals Potential DSA Breach Over TikTok’s Addictive Design
The European Commission has issued preliminary findings indicating that TikTok’s platform design may violate obligations under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation focuses on features the Commission considers potentially addictive, including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and the platform’s highly personalised recommender system, and whether TikTok assessed and mitigated the risks these features pose to users.
New Rules on Dispute Resolution for e-Commerce
The European consumer protection landscape is undergoing significant change. Following the discontinuation of the European Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Platform and the introduction of the updated ADR Directive (Directive 2025/2647), online businesses serving EU consumers face new legal obligations and opportunities to manage disputes.
The EU withdrawal button is coming: new rules and what retailers must change
To strengthen protections for consumers buying online, the EU has introduced new requirements that make it simpler to cancel (withdraw from) online consumer contracts. This arises from the requirements of Directive (EU) 2023/2673, and its key change is a mandatory electronic withdrawal feature, or a “withdrawal button”.
Price transparency under the DMCCA: key takeaways for businesses
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has finalised its price transparency guidance under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) and updated its guidance on unfair commercial practices (UCPs) to reflect the new rules.
CMA launches major consumer-protection drive focused on online pricing practices
Since April, the CMA has been carrying out a sector-wide review of pricing transparency, examining how more than 400 businesses across 19 industries present prices, promotions and fees to consumers. Building on this work, the regulator has now opened investigations into a series of practices it views as presenting the greatest risk to consumers.