Digital word of mouth has officially ceased to be a regulatory Wild West. Following the approval of the SME Law (Law No. 34/2026) last April, the Italian tourism and hospitality sector was awaiting the crucial step to make the new rules enforceable.
The turning point came just in these days: the Italian Competition and Market Authority (AGCM) has published the Operational Guidelines and Official Directives.
This step definitively unlocks controls, establishes severe penalties for fictitious reviews and introduces unprecedented legal defense tools for hoteliers and property managers, such as the figure of the Trusted Reporter.
In this complete guide of Direzione Hotel Let's analyze in detail what the Antitrust text provides and how to immediately adapt the management of your hotel or non-hotel establishment to avoid fines and delete illicit comments.
The New Antitrust Rules for Reviews: The 5 "Legitimacy" Requirements
Topics index
With the publication of the guidelines, the Antitrust Authority clarified that an online review, to be considered compliant with the law, must simultaneously meet five legal requirements. If a comment fails to meet even one of these parameters, the property manager has the right to request its immediate removal from the platforms (Google, TripAdvisor, Booking.com).
| Legal Requirement | What does the AGCM 2026 Directive provide? | Impact on Hotels and B&Bs |
| Verifiability | The author must demonstrate actual use of the service (via booking code, receipt, or invoice). | Introduces the “Presumption of Authenticity”. |
| Timeliness | Feedback must be published within 30 days from checkout. | Stop posting reviews after months due to retaliatory reasons. |
| Spontaneity | Absolutely no discounts, free drinks, or giveaways in exchange for positive reviews. | Practice considered “false advertising”. |
| Relevancy | The text must strictly concern the stay experience and the services offered. | Personal or non-proper comments are prohibited. |
| Actuality | Reviews lose legal relevance and “expire” after 24 months from publication. | Help clear your reputation of obsolete historical records. |
The "Trusted Flaggers" Revolution: How to Remove Fake Reviews
The most relevant innovation that has emerged from the Antitrust guidelines in recent days concerns the implementation of the system of Trusted Flaggers, borrowed from Digital Services Act European.
Until now, any hotelier or non-hotel manager who received a blatantly false or extortionate review would encounter Big Tech's automated reporting forms, often receiving no response.
How does the new priority reporting channel work?
Role of Associations: The main tourism trade associations (Federalberghi, Assohotel, Property Managers) are accrediting themselves on digital platforms as certified bodies.
Bus Lane: When a registered business receives a review that violates the legality requirements (e.g., published more than 30 days ago or lacking proof of purchase), it can request intervention from the association.
Timely removal: The report forwarded by Trusted Reporter It enjoys a legal priority stamp: platforms are required to examine it and, if necessary, remove the content within a very short timeframe, under penalty of heavy sanctions from the AGCM.
What changes for the history of the structure?
One of the most frequently asked questions that reach the editorial staff of Direzione Hotel Regarding the retroactive effect of the law, the Antitrust Authority has clarified:
📌Compliance note: The new restrictions and strict verification requirements (30-day time window, stop to small commercial incentives) apply only to reviews posted on or after April 7, 2026. Previous comments cannot be penalized retroactively.
However, the 24-month timeliness ruleOld negative reviews dating back more than two years will lose their legal value and will no longer affect the legitimacy of the property's rating, allowing for a gradual and natural renewal of the brand's online reputation.
Checklist for Hoteliers and Hosts: How to Immediately Adapt to the New Directives
To protect your property's positioning and legally leverage the new regulation to your advantage, follow these four procedural steps:
1. Filter feedback requests by booking code:
Requesting feedback is absolutely legitimate and recommended. The important thing is that the request be neutral and not conditioned by financial rewards, future discounts, or immediate commercial advantages.
What are the risks?
The Antitrust guidelines establish severe administrative fines for both agencies that market fake profiles and reviews and accommodation facilities that knowingly use them, constituting a misleading commercial practice.
The use of a nickname is permitted by the platforms, but according to the new 2026 directives, the reviewer must still be traceable and privately identifiable by the platform itself via proof of purchase of the stay (receipt or booking code), should the manager dispute its veracity.
To analyse the technical details and press releases of the provision, it is possible to consult the institutional page dedicated to the AGCM Public Consultation on Online Review Guidelines
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