Amazon and Google fake reviews to be investigated by antitrust regulator – CNET [CNET]

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority launched a probe into fake Amazon and Google reviews to determine if they’ve broken consumer law by failing to take enough action to protect shoppers, the antitrust watchdog said Friday. It follows an initial investigation that opened in May 2020.

Fake and misleading reviews can change businesses’ star ratings and determine how prominently companies and products are displayed, potentially altering your shopping experience.

“Our worry is that millions of online shoppers could be misled by reading fake reviews and then spending their money based on those recommendations,” CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said in a release. “Equally, it’s simply not fair if some businesses can fake five-star reviews to give their products or services the most prominence while law-abiding businesses lose out.”

If the CMA investigation finds Amazon and Google have broken consumer law, it may seek formal commitments that they’ll crack down on fake reviews or take court action if they fail to do so.

An Amazon spokesperson said via email that it devotes “significant resources” stopping fake reviews appearing in its store, and will work with the CMA in its probe. Earlier this month, the e-commerce giant placed the blame for the spread of fake reviews on its site on social media companies, saying they allow bad actors to buy and sell fake product reviews.

“Our strict policies clearly state reviews must be based on real experiences, and when we find policy violations, we take action — from removing abusive content to disabling user accounts,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement, and noted that it’ll assist the CMA as well.

“Our strict policies clearly state reviews must be based on real experiences, and when we find policy violations, we take action — from removing abusive content to disabling user accounts,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement.