LONDON — Britain's competition regulator on Friday launched a formal probe into Amazon and Google over concerns they haven't done enough t

Amazon and Google face UK competition probe over fake reviews

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2021-06-25 10:00:03

LONDON — Britain's competition regulator on Friday launched a formal probe into Amazon and Google over concerns they haven't done enough to tackle fake reviews.

"We are investigating concerns that Amazon and Google have not been doing enough to prevent or remove fake reviews to protect customers and honest businesses," Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said in a statement.

"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."

Misleading consumer reviews have proven to be a big problem in e-commerce, and Amazon is a prime target for brands looking to hype up their products online with fake, favorable write-ups. Last month, the company called on social media firms to help it weed out dishonest reviews.

The Competition and Markets Authority began an initial investigation into the issue of fake reviews back in May 2020. Earlier that year, it had gotten Facebook and eBay to remove several groups and accounts that engaged in trading fake reviews.