Fake Reviews

In a major move to strengthen consumer trust in online shopping, Amazon has formally committed to new measures aimed at eliminating fake reviews and deceptive practices on its platform. These undertakings were given to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and represent a crucial step under the newly enforced Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), which explicitly bans such practices and enhances the CMA’s powers to protect buyers.

Amazon’s undertakings include robust improvements to its systems for detecting and removing fake reviews, as well as stricter penalties for both businesses and users engaging in such practices. Of particular concern to the CMA was the issue of “catalogue abuse” – a deceptive tactic where sellers attach reviews from unrelated but popular products to their own listings, thereby artificially inflating ratings. For example, a buyer searching for top-rated headphones might unknowingly be looking at reviews meant for a phone charger. Amazon has now committed to tackling this issue by identifying and