A provider of online intermediation services can have legitimate reasons to decide to restrict, suspend or terminate the provision of its services to a given business user, including by delisting individual goods or services of a given business user or effectively removing search results. Short of being suspended, providers of online intermediation services can also restrict individual listings of business users; for example, through their demotion or by negatively affecting a business user’s appearance (‘dimming’) which can include lowering its ranking. However, given that such decisions can significantly affect the interests of the business user concerned, they should be provided, prior to or at the time of the restriction or suspension taking effect, with a statement of reasons for that decision on a durable medium. To minimise the negative impact of such decisions on business users, providers of online intermediation services should also allow an opportunity to clarify the facts that led to that decision in the framework of the internal complaint-handling process, which will help the business user, where this is possible, to re-establish compliance. In addition, where the provider of online intermediation services revokes the decision to restrict, suspend or terminate, for example because the decision was made in error or the infringement of terms and conditions that led to this decision was not committed in bad faith and has been remedied in a satisfactory manner, the provider should reinstate the business user concerned without undue delay, including providing the business user with any access to personal or other data, or both, available prior to the decision.
The statement of reasons regarding the decision to restrict, suspend or terminate the provision of online intermediation services should allow business users to ascertain whether there is scope to challenge the decision, thereby improving the possibilities for business users to seek effective redress where necessary. The statement of reasons should identify the grounds for the decision, based on the grounds that the provider had set out in advance in its terms and conditions, and refer in a proportionate manner to the relevant specific circumstances, including third party notifications, that led to that decision. However, a provider of online intermediation services should not be required to provide a statement of reasons for restrictions, suspensions or terminations insofar as it would infringe a legal or regulatory obligation. Furthermore, a statement of reasons should not be required where a provider of online intermediation services can demonstrate that the business user concerned has repeatedly infringed the applicable terms and conditions, resulting in termination of the provision of the whole of the online intermediation services in question.