Google made extensive commitments for UK business review reform as per an announcement made by the Competition and Markets Authority. The tech giant leads UK searches by controlling 90% of the market yet plans to warn users about businesses arrogance in creating fake star ratings through attached warning notices. If users repeatedly break Google’s rules then they could get their review capabilities disabled so they cannot submit new feedback to the platform.
Users who post false or deceptive reviews will receive complete bans across the entire Google review system according to confirmed CMA rules. The new measures target business reviews displayed through Google Search and Google Maps while skipping product reviews.
Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s Chief Executive, emphasized the importance of these changes: Google’s strong review security processes will establish trust with consumers enabling better purchasing decisions. 
Google recently revealed its current fake content blocking operations filter out over a million fraudulent reviews every year. The company pledged to provide updates to the CMA about its progress throughout the following three years for measuring success rates of its measures.
Research from the CMA shows that reviews found online determine £23 billion in annual United Kingdom customer spending. Artificial intelligence adoption for producing fake reviews now presents an escalated difficulty for the issue.
Google’s policy update as part of the CMA’s examination launched in June 2021 targets fake reviews across their platforms along with Google and Amazon. Google has begun implementing reforms as the CMA starts its investigation of Amazon’s business practices.
The industry must follow this approach since it ensures fairness both for consumers and businesses according to Cardell.
Google’s recent changes demonstrate its devoted effort to combat online fraud while rebuilding platform trust.
