Google has agreed to do more to identify and remove fake reviews following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.
The investigation was initially launched in 2021 over concerns it may have been breaching consumer law by failing to take sufficient action to protect people from fake reviews.
The tech company will issue 鈥榳arning鈥� alerts on the profiles of businesses that use fake reviews to boost their ratings, the CMA said.
There are tens of millions of published reviews on UK businesses on Google and as much as 拢23bn of UK consumer spending is potentially influenced by online reviews annually.
鈥淟eft unchecked, fake reviews damage people鈥檚 trust and leave businesses who do the right thing at a disadvantage,鈥� said Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA.
鈥淭he changes we鈥檝e secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices.鈥�
iplicit aims for unicorn status after first institutional funding
To address the CMA鈥檚 concerns, Google has committed to rigorous steps to detect and remove fake reviews, enabling it to rapidly identify and investigate businesses and reviewers that profit from fake reviews.
Consequences for rogue reviewers around the world have also been implemented, as individuals who repeatedly post fake or misleading reviews for UK businesses will have their reviews deleted and will be banned from posting new reviews.
Former Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr was last week named interim chair at the CMA after Marcus Bokkerink stepped down, a move slammed as a ‘slap in the face’ by one workers’ union.
Google must report to the CMA over a three-year period to ensure it is complying with the changes it has agreed.
The authority has also this month launched an investigation focused on Apple and Google鈥檚 mobile ecosystems.