Google will be taking tougher action against UK companies that use fake reviews to boost their rankings on the search giant’s review platform. On Friday, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that Google has agreed to improve its processes for identifying and removing fake reviews, and will take action against companies and reviewers who post them.
This includes deactivating the ability to add new reviews for companies that use fake reviews and removing all existing reviews for at least six months if they repeatedly engage in suspicious review activity. Google will also place prominent “warning notices” on the profiles of companies that use fake reviews to help consumers be more aware of potentially misleading reviews. Individuals who repeatedly post fake or misleading reviews on the pages of UK companies will be blocked and their review history will be deleted, even if they are located in another country.
Google is obliged to report to the CMA over the next three years to ensure that it is complying with the agreement.
“The changes we have secured from Google ensure robust processes so that people can trust reviews and make the best possible choices,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell in a statement. “This is a matter of fairness – for businesses and consumers alike – and we urge the entire sector to take note.”
Last year, Google made similar changes to reviews on Maps, stating that they “should reflect the true experience of visiting a place or business.” However, these changes apply globally, while Google’s commitment to improve reviews on all of its properties appears to be limited to the UK for now.
The changes to reviews follow a CMA investigation launched against Google and Amazon in 2021 over concerns that the companies had breached consumer protection laws by not doing enough to combat fake reviews on their platforms. The CMA says its investigation into Amazon is still ongoing and that an update will be announced “in due course.”
