Ministry of Commerce Announces New Regulation on Consumer Evaluations Regulation

In the written statement made by the Ministry of Commerce, "We do not allow our citizens to be misled by fake product reviews on the internet. Consumer evaluations made for a good or service on the internet play an important role in shaping consumers' purchasing decisions. The basic procedures and principles regarding the publication of consumer comments are regulated in Article 28/B of the Commercial Advertisement and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation. In addition, the 'Guide on Consumer Evaluations' was published by the Advertising Board dated 12.09.2023. "Within the scope of the regulation, consumer evaluations are only allowed to be made by those who purchase the relevant goods or services. Evaluations are published without any discrimination, positive or negative, and there are procedures and principles regarding the publication of evaluations for at least one year, without any guidance."

In the statement, it was stated that changes were made in the regulation in order to prevent misleading consumers. "With the Regulation on Amendments to the Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation, which was published in the Official Gazette dated 01.07.2026 and numbered 33297 and came into force on 01.08.2026, significant changes were made in order to prevent consumers from being misled regarding consumer evaluations. In this context, in order to prevent consumers' purchasing decisions from being negatively affected and their economic behavior patterns not to be disrupted, our Advertising Board has made "Investigations based on consumer evaluations are frequently carried out. Administrative sanctions specified in Law No. 6502 are imposed on sellers and providers who act contrary to the procedures and principles set out in the legislation. As the Ministry of Commerce, we continue our efforts to protect consumers."