The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) purpose is to help people, businesses and the UK economy by protecting competition and tackling unfair behaviour.
About this consultation
We are consulting on draft direct consumer enforcement guidance and rules as required and permitted under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act).
The DMCC Act grants new direct enforcement powers, relating to consumer protection law, to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). These new powers enable the CMA to investigate, determine and take enforcement action to address:
- infringements of certain consumer protection laws
- breaches of undertakings given to the CMA
- Continue reading
The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) purpose is to help people, businesses and the UK economy by protecting competition and tackling unfair behaviour.
About this consultation
We are consulting on draft direct consumer enforcement guidance and rules as required and permitted under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act).
The DMCC Act grants new direct enforcement powers, relating to consumer protection law, to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). These new powers enable the CMA to investigate, determine and take enforcement action to address:
- infringements of certain consumer protection laws
- breaches of undertakings given to the CMA
- breaches of CMA direct enforcement directions
- providing false or misleading information in connection with the CMA’s exercise of a direct enforcement function
- non-compliance with statutory information notices
The draft guidance sets out the range and scope of the new powers, and explains how the CMA will generally conduct direct consumer enforcement investigations.
The draft rules set out procedural rules which will be legally binding in all cases when the CMA exercises its direct consumer enforcement powers.
We want to hear from you
It's important we hear feedback from businesses, expert groups and key stakeholders on this proposed approach.
Responding to our consultation
You can submit your response using the form below. On this form, you can choose to respond using any of the following options:
- uploading a document (for example a PDF)
- filling out an online form
- sending your feedback by email
Any queries about this consultation should be sent to consumerguidance@cma.gov.uk.
In pursuance of the CMA’s policy of openness and transparency, we will publish a non-confidential version of responses on our webpages. If your response contains any information that you regard as sensitive and that you would not wish to be published, please provide a non-confidential version for publication on the CMA’s webpages which omits that material and which explains why you regard it as sensitive at the same time.
If you need support with the form, or would like to send your response by email, contact consumerguidance@cma.gov.uk. Please note, you do not need to submit a response via email and the response form below.
Your personal data
Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002.
For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, read our privacy notice.
