Google pledges to crack down on fake reviews after UK watchdog investigation

LONDON (AP) — Google pledged to crack down on fake online reviews with tougher punishments for rogue reviewers and businesses that try to profit from them, British regulators said Friday following an investigation.

The Competition and Markets Authority said that Google has committed to “rigorous steps” to detect and remove sham reviews, so it can quickly identify and investigate businesses and reviewers trying to benefit from the phony posts.

Google will delete all reviews written by people who repeatedly write fake or misleading reviews — either positive or negative — for U.K. businesses, the watchdog said. These reviewers will also be banned from posting new reviews, whether or not they're in the U.K.

Businesses that try to artificially boost their star ratings will also face consequences. Warning alerts will be slapped on their Google profiles, and new reviews will not be allowed. And if they repeatedly engage in fake review activity, all their reviews for the past six months or more will be deleted, the CMA said.

Google's also adding a way for consumers to quickly and easily report shady reviews, including payments or rewards offered for a positive review.

“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,” the watchdog's CEO Sarah Cardell said. “They also help to create a level-playing field for fair dealing firms.”

Google said its “longstanding investments to combat fraudulent content help us block millions of fake reviews yearly – often before they ever get published." The company said in a brief statement that its "work with regulators around the world, including the CMA, is part of our ongoing efforts to fight fake content and bad actors.”

A separate investigation into Amazon over fake reviews is ongoing, the watchdog said. It opened the probes in 2021 to examine whether the two companies broke U.K. consumer law by failing to protect shoppers. It began looking into phony reviews on some big websites amid the boom in online shopping fueled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Phony reviews have long plagued the internet. Some online travel and shopping platforms have banded together to fight fraudulent reviews. Authorities in the U.S. meanwhile have also been trying to crack down, with the Federal Trade Commission banning their sale or purchase and fining businesses and individuals who engage in the practice.

Fake reviews are typically traded on private social media groups between fake review brokers and businesses willing to pay. Sometimes, such reviews are initiated by businesses that offer customers incentives such as gift cards for positive feedback.