Google Vows to Combat Fake Reviews in the UK

Google has pledged to take stronger measures against British businesses that use fake reviews to enhance their ratings on the tech giant's review platform. This follows an announcement by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that Google will strengthen its detection and removal of fraudulent reviews. Businesses caught in the act may lose the ability to receive new reviews and could see their existing reviews deleted for at least six months, especially if they continue to engage in suspicious activities. Google will also add warning alerts to the profiles of such businesses to alert consumers. Even reviewers who are not based in the UK but repeatedly post fake or deceptive reviews will face a ban and have their review history wiped out.

The agreement with the CMA requires Google to report back every year for the next three years to ensure they're keeping up their end of the bargain. The CMA's chief executive, Sarah Cardell, emphasized the importance of fairness, stating that these changes will help both consumers and honest businesses. In a similar move last year, Google improved review processes globally for Google Maps. However, the new agreement seems to focus specifically on the UK for now.

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