1,284 supporters and counting

Fair Search for Small Business — End the Gatekeeping

Small firms sink their savings into new businesses and are then buried by platforms that answer to no one. A handful of companies decide who gets found and who goes under, with no explanation, no appeal and no accountability. We are demanding enforceable rules and independent oversight — not another voluntary code.

Our specific ask

Enforceable transparency on how search trust is decided, fast-tracked verification for legitimate businesses, a binding right of appeal with deadlines, and an independent regulator with the power to fine. No rankings guaranteed, no low-quality sites protected — just an end to unaccountable gatekeeping.

Evidence base

New e-commerce sites are indexed and then starved of meaningful visibility through the months that decide whether the business survives.
The 'guidance' handed to small business owners is boilerplate that explains nothing and fixes nothing.
A tiny number of platforms control which businesses consumers can find at all — and face no obligation to justify it.

Government response tracker

Status: Awaiting response. We update this when government publishes a formal position relevant to this ask.