United Kingdom: Consumer Protection

New research reveals that British holidaymakers are taking dangerous risks abroad while being woefully unprepared for emergencies, with 71% admitting they're more relaxed on vacation and engaging in hazardous...

Recent guidance from the Advertising Standards Authority clarifies when accessibility features like audio description, closed captions, and signing must include material information in advertisements. Marketing teams face new considerations around campaign planning and compliance to ensure visually and hearing-impaired audiences receive the same essential information as other consumers.

The government has moved the start date for the UK’s new consumer subscription rules. The regime in Part 4, Chapter 2 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) will now take effect in January 2027 rather than the spring 2027 date announced earlier this year.

The UK Government has brought forward new rules to combat subscription traps, requiring businesses to provide clearer contract information, send renewal reminders, and simplify cancellation processes. These changes under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 will take effect in January 2027, with significant penalties for non-compliance including fines up to £300,000 or 10% of turnover.

The EU's Green Transition Directive introduces sweeping new rules on greenwashing, sustainability claims, and product durability that will impact all businesses selling to EU consumers from September 2026. With banned practices, mandatory pre-contractual disclosures, and new labelling requirements, companies must act now to audit their environmental claims and ensure compliance across both physical and digital channels.

The UK government has accelerated the implementation of new subscription contract rules under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, moving the enforcement date to January 2027. These regulations introduce stricter transparency requirements at sign-up, mandatory cooling-off periods including a new renewal cooling-off window, and simplified cancellation processes designed to eliminate 'subscription traps' that lock consumers into unwanted recurring payments.

Millions apply cosmetics daily without considering potential asbestos contamination in talc-based products like face powder and eyeshadow. This examination reveals how asbestos fibres can infiltrate makeup during the mining process, the devastating health risks posed by contaminated cosmetics, and the legal rights available to consumers who have suffered harm from exposure to these dangerous products.

US medical malpractice data reveals emerging healthcare liability trends that consistently appear in America before reaching the UK, offering insurers and indemnifiers critical early warning signals. With the gap between US and UK trends narrowing, particularly in areas like aesthetics and GLP-1 weight-loss medications, understanding these patterns becomes essential for identifying and managing risks before they mature into significant liability exposures.

This August edition examines critical developments reshaping the insurance landscape, from agentic AI underwriting challenges following a major OpenAI incident to emerging liability concerns around unlabelled chemicals in consumer products. The analysis explores how autonomous systems, geopolitical transit fees, and AI-powered claims processing are fundamentally altering risk assessment and operational frameworks across multiple insurance lines.

The Treasury's policy statement on Consumer Credit Act 1974 reform is progressing through Parliament via the Financial Services and Markets Bill. As the legislation advances through the House of Lords, firms face an earlier-than-expected implementation timeline and must prepare for the FCA's upcoming consultation on new rules for a modernized consumer credit regime.

The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court decision allowing approximately 5,000 motor finance claims to proceed via multi-party 'omnibus' claim forms, challenging the lenders' attempts to disaggregate the cases. The ruling addresses whether claims alleging unfair relationships under the Consumer Credit Act 1974—based on undisclosed dealer commissions—can be efficiently managed collectively despite their fact-specific nature. This case management decision provides important guidance on the cour

Hit refresh on the FSR news browser after the long, hot summer with our handy review of developments in June, July and August.