The UK Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) have begun an investigation of Amazon and Google to determine whether the companies have or have not broken consumer protection law with their failure to remove fake reviews for products. 

Amazon and Google have said that they will cooperate with the investigation.

While an Amazon spokesperson said, “To help earn the trust of customers, we devote significant resources to preventing fake or incentivised reviews from appearing in our store. We work hard to ensure that reviews accurately reflect the experience that customers have had with a product. 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.”

Amazon has stated that they have prevented millions of fake reviews from being posted just last year and have also filed a lawsuit against Which?, a Uk consumer group that used fake reviews to their advantage, earlier this month.

"Our strict policies clearly state reviews must be based on real experiences, and when we find policy violations, we take action — from removing abusive content to disabling user accounts," said a Google spokesperson.

The results of the investigation could instigate hefty fines, court action, or could cause Amazon and Google to change the way they regulate their reviews.

"Our worry is that millions of online shoppers could be misled by reading fake reviews and then spending their money based on those recommendations," CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said in a statement.

So far, the CMA has said that it is  concerned that both companies have not been doing enough to regulate fake reviews and have failed to punish reviewers and businesses that have broken the rules on posts.

Just earlier this year, an investigation by Which?, a UK consumer group, found several companies on Amazon that were making money by manipulating the reviews of their products.

“We have repeatedly exposed fake reviews on websites including Amazon and Google, so this investigation is a positive step,” said Rocio Concha, the director of policy and advocacy at Which?. “The CMA must now move swiftly towards establishing whether these companies have broken the law. This should prompt Amazon and Google to finally take the necessary steps to protect users from the growing tide of fake reviews on their platforms and, if they fail to do so, the regulator must be prepared to take strong enforcement action.”

By Alexandria Kim