How are misleading sales tactics regulated and fined?

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1. 1

   False advertising (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 1, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “False advertising is the act of publishing, transmitting, distributing or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim or statement, to promote the sale of property, goods or services. A false advertisement can be classified as deceptive if the advertiser deliberately misleads the consumer, rather than making an unintentional mistake. A number of governments use regulations or other laws and methods to limit false advertising.”

2. 2

   Wayfair among firms fined millions for misleading sales tactics

   BBC NewsPublished Oct 14, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “The Competition and Markets Authority has fined Wayfair, Appliances Direct, and Gold's Gym £6m in total.”

3. 3

   Ban-It-Harderism in European Consumer Law: The Case of the French Influencer Law.

   Journal of consumer policy (Aade & Goanta)Published Sep 23, 2025Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “In June 2023, France adopted a new law to curb the negative impact of influencer marketing on its consumers. While it introduces some innovative provisions, the law mostly doubles down on legal prohibitions that could have been equally construed under existing consumer protection legislation. From this perspective, it can be argued that this law is an example of ban-it-harderism: a regulatory trend where lawmakers respond to perceived enforcement failures, not by addressing structural or institutional issues, but by enacting additional prohibitions that duplicate existing norms. Ban-it-harderism is problematic for at least two reasons. First, it often gives the false public impression that certain issues were not covered by regulation before the specific intervention. Second, it contributes to the overwhelming regulatory inflation seen at European and national levels on matters dealing with technology regulation and the digital market. This article discusses selected provisions from the French Influencer Law to contrast them with existing European consumer law and to critically reflect on its contributions to relevant legal frameworks.”

4. 4

   Dark patterns in online gambling: A scoping review and classification of deceptive design practices.

   Journal of behavioral addictions (McGarrigle et al.)Published Jan 6, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “To address inconsistent terminology across studies, we synthesised existing literature by mapping identified dark patterns to a transdisciplinary framework, providing greater conceptual clarity and direction for future research.Discussions and conclusionsThe potential for harm from dark patterns is evident, yet evidence on behavioural impacts is limited, hindered by restricted access to proprietary gambling operator data. Research in this area is sparse and fragmented, often using inconsistent terminology. Future studies should empirically investigate the influence of dark patterns on consumer behaviour, especially among vulnerable populations, and evaluate safer design alternatives. We recommend mandating gambling operators to collaborate with researchers to assess platform safety, and shifting the burden of proof onto operators to demonstrate that their platforms prioritise consumer safety and foster responsible gambling environments.”