Italy tightens controls on hotel, restaurant reviews
As of today, April 7, new regulations governing online reviews in the hotel and restaurant sector in Italy officially come into force.
This was recalled by Assoutenti, which emphasized, however, that the measures introduced by Law 34/2026 (Ddl Pmi) in Italy still require guidelines from the Antitrust Authority and Agcom in order to become fully operational, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The new rules establish that a customer review, to be considered valid in Italy, must be published within 30 days of using the service or purchasing the product, and must come from someone who has actually used the service or product being reviewed.
Assoutenti explains that the review must contain elements consistent with the actual experience and the characteristics of the establishment or service, and in Italy it cannot be linked to discounts, benefits, or other incentives offered by the business or intermediaries. Reviews supported by proof of fiscal documentation are presumed to be authentic. An online review is no longer considered legitimate in Italy after two years from its publication, due to loss of relevance.
The law in Italy also provides greater protection for hotels and restaurants, which will be able to report reviews that do not meet legal requirements by using the channels made available by platforms to contest unlawful content.
However, for the provisions to become fully effective in Italy, it is necessary for the Antitrust Authority—after consulting Agcom, the Data Protection Authority, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and the Ministry of Tourism—to issue specific guidelines to help businesses comply with the legal requirements for online reviews.
“This is an important development that benefits both consumers and businesses in Italy,” explained President Gabriele Melluso. “When reviews are handled in a non-transparent way or are capable of misleading consumers, the proper functioning of the market is disrupted and users’ freedom of choice is undermined.”
