Amazon to take action on catalogue abuse following CMA probe

Amazon Europe has signed undertakings committing to enhance its existing systems for tackling fake reviews and catalogue abuse, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). 

In 2021, the CMA launched an investigation into Amazon and Google for their failure to remove fake reviews. 

Subsequently, Amazon has pledged to implement strict penalties for businesses that artificially inflate star ratings through fraudulent reviews or misuse of their product catalogue, as well as for users who post such reviews.

Google also committed to several similar actions earlier this year, notably a promise to act against those who repeatedly violate their policies.

The regulator clarified that catalogue abuse involves sellers “hijacking the reviews of well-performing products and adding them to an entirely separate and different product to falsely boost its star rating”. 

According to Amazon, it had ramped up its efforts involving expert human investigators and machine models of analysing thousands of data points, which in 2024 blocked 275 million fake reviews. 

In its next phase of work to tackle fake reviews, the CMA will be looking into the conduct of players across the sector, including businesses whose products and services are listed on review sites to “determine whether further action is needed under the new consumer regime”. 

Following its April release of guidance on fake reviews, the regulator is now undertaking a preliminary review of review platforms. The aim of this sweep is to pinpoint platforms that might need to enhance their adherence to consumer law.