Amazon has said it will swiftly deal with businesses attempting to “pull the wool” over consumers’ eyes on its UK online marketplace.
Fake reviews on Amazon is a persistent problem that has been ongoing for many years. In 2020, a study by University of California, Los Angeles estimated that 30-40% of online reviews in certain categories on Amazon – particularly electronics, health and beauty and home goods – may be suspicious or fake.
This proliferation of disinformation is a growing issue given the significant influence it has on consumer choices.
The UK’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), estimates that around 90% of UK consumers use star ratings and online reviews, and as much as £23bn of UK consumer spending is potentially influenced by online reviews annually.
To crack down on this disinformation, the CMA launched an investigation into both Amazon and Google in 2021 over concerns that the two companies were breaching consumer law for not doing enough...
