UK Investigates Amazon and Google over Flood of Fake Reviews

Amazon and Google are reportedly under investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority over concerns that the ongoing flood of fake five-star reviews on their websites is misleading consumers.

BBC News reports that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating Google and Amazon over fake five-star reviews across their respective platforms. The CMA is also reportedly worried that “law-abiding businesses” who sell over Amazon and Google could be losing out to rivals using false recommendations.

Amazon and Google could face court action if the investigation finds that the company’s are breaking consumer law. Both internet giants claim to have resources and policies in place to stop fake reviews, but as Breitbart News has reported the issue of fake reviews on Amazon has grown increasingly bad in recent months.

The CMA has launched the formal probe after an initial investigation last year examined whether online companies were doing enough to protect consumers. As online shopping has increased hugely during the coronavirus pandemic, many retailers deemed “non-essential” by the UK government have been forced to close physical stores during lockdown periods.

CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli commented: “Our worry is that millions of online shoppers could be misled by reading fake reviews and then spending their money based on those recommendations. 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.”

Coscelli added: “It’s important that these tech platforms take responsibility and we stand ready to take action if we find that they are not doing enough.”

Breitbart News previously reported that Amazon is claiming that the real culprit behind the rampant issue of fake reviews across its platform is social media. The company alleges that “bad actors” are using social networks to buy and sell fake product reviews, making it almost impossible for Amazon to regulate the issue.

The company stated that it removed more than 200 million suspected fake reviews before they were seen by customers in 2020 alone. However, the issue remains widespread across Amazon’s platform. In 2021, a “Which?” investigation found that companies claiming to be able to guarantee “Amazon’s Choice” status on products within two weeks, and others claiming to have hundreds of thousands of reviewers ready and waiting to post reviews.

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