Amazon and Google probed over whether fake reviews broke law

AMAZON and Google are under investigation over whether they have broken laws by failing to crack down on fake five-star reviews online.

UK regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fears ‘law-abiding businesses’ that sell goods on the websites are losing out to companies that use bogus endorsements.

It said millions of online shoppers could be misled into buying products whose online ratings have been boosted by fake reviews. The reviews also affect how prominently the goods are featured on the sites. The CMA will gather evidence on how the tech titans detect fake or misleading reviews and how they punish businesses that break the rules.

The watchdog said there were ‘specific concerns’ that Amazon and Google are both failing to adequately protect shoppers from manipulative sellers. Andrea

Coscelli, chief executive of CMA, said: ‘It’s important that these tech platforms take responsibility and we stand ready to take action if we find that they’re not doing enough.’

The CMA has probed Facebook and eBay in 2019 over fake reviews. Rocio Concha, of consumer group Which, said the regulator must be prepared to take ‘strong enforcement action’.

An Amazon spokesman said: ‘We are relentless in protecting our store and will take action to stop fake reviews regardless of the size or location of those who attempt this abuse.’

A Google spokesman said the company has disabled user accounts over breaches and that it has strict policies around fake reviews. Both firms said they would cooperate with the CMA’s inquiry.