Google Promises To Take 'Rigorous Steps' To Combat Fake Reviews

Google vowed to take "rigorous steps" to combat fake online reviews and impose serious punishments for reviewers and businesses that profit from them, a British monitor said on Friday.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Google will crackdown on bogus reviews following an investigation over allegations the company may have violated consumer law by failing to take "sufficient action to protect people from fake reviews."

"Google has committed to rigorous steps to detect and remove fake reviews – enabling it to rapidly identify and investigate businesses and reviewers that profit from fake reviews," the monitoring authority said Friday.

Rogue reviewers who post fake or misleading businesses in the United Kingdom either positive or negative will have the reviews deleted and they will be banned from posting new evaluations in the UK or elsewhere.

Businesses that boost their ratings through fake reviews will have "warning" alerts added to their Google profiles "to flag to consumers that suspicious activity has been detected."

"Firms that repeatedly engage in fake review activity will have all their reviews deleted for 6 months or more," CMA said.

The tech company also said it would find a way for consumers to "easily and quickly" report suspicious reviews.

"The changes we've secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices," CMA's CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement. "They also help to create a level-playing field for fair dealing firms."

Google said its "work with regulators around the world, including the CMA, is part of our ongoing efforts to fight fake content and bad actors," the Associated Press reported.