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Google has pledged to do more to combat fake reviews of UK businesses, with significant changes to follow.
The update was announced by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA), the United Kingdom’s competition watchdog.
Google is said to represent around 90% of online search in the UK, highlighting the importance of veracity and legitimacy.
The CMA will apply warnings against companies found to have manipulated their own reviews and star ratings, with the worst offenders at risk of having the review function suspended.
That would leave them unable to receive any fresh reviews, which are coveted by various businesses, vying for trade and good publicity.
Anyone who is found guilty of repeatedly posting fake or inaccurate reviews will be banned from using the facility, regardless of their location.
#Google has agreed to make significant changes to how it tackles fake reviews so people can have more trust in the reviews they see.
Read the full story: https://t.co/z23OyYyyzK#FakeReviews #OnlineReviews #GoogleReviews pic.twitter.com/T22A0djKxZ
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) January 24, 2025
Investigations appear to have influenced positive change
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said, “The changes we’ve secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices.”
“Left unchecked, fake reviews damage people’s trust and leave businesses who do the right thing at a disadvantage,” she added.
The shake-up for the system will only apply to business reviews when using Google Search or Google Maps.
The catalyst for the update appears to be the work of the CMA which included a 2021 probe into Google over concerns it could have contravened consumer law by failing to take action against fraudulent reviews on its platforms.
A similar investigation was opened on Amazon, with that process still ongoing.
The British competition regulator estimates as much as £23 billion ($28.6b) of UK consumer spending is potentially influenced by the content of online reviews.
That is backed by consumer rights group Which?, with its research indicating around 89% of consumers actively use online reviews to gather information on products or services before purchasing.
Image credit: Via Midjourney
