Facebook and eBay have pledged to crack down on the trade of fake and misleading reviews on their sites, the UK’s competition watchdog has announced.
Both online platforms have signed up to agreements to better identify, investigate and respond to illegal reviews, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said.
After the the CMA raised concerns about the proliferation of fake and misleading reviews on the technology giants’ platforms last summer, Facebook removed 188 groups and shut down 24 accounts, while eBay has banned 140 users.
Both organisations have also pledged to put in place measures to block and prevent such content from appearing in the future. Facebook has agreed to introduce more robust systems to detect and remove such content and eBay has improved its existing filters to better identify and block listings for the sale or trade of online reviews.
“Fake reviews are really damaging to shoppers and businesses alike,” said the CMA’s chief executive, Andrea Coscelli. “We’re pleased that Facebook and eBay are doing the right thing by committing to tackle this problem and helping to keep their sites free from posts selling fake reviews.”
More than three-quarters of consumers read online reviews before they shop online and billions of pounds are spent every year based on write-ups of products or services. However, a burgeoning market for fakes has emerged and experts say consumers must be vigilant.
A fake review will appear to have been written by a genuine customer but, unlike a real review, it is paid for by the manufacturer or trader to boost ratings and rankings on sellers’ websites, which in turn boosts sales. In some cases, companies give away goods or refund purchases in return for glowing reviews, practices that are are illegal under consumer protection law.
Natalie Hitchins from the consumer group Which? welcomed the move. “It’s good that Facebook and eBay have taken steps to improve after the regulator intervened but it is vital they continue to identify and shut down these groups, and put measures in place so that they are completely eradicated.
“The regulator must now turn its attention to review sites which are losing the battle against fake reviews – with shoppers duped into buying shoddy goods and services which have been artificially boosted by unscrupulous sellers.
“The CMA needs to investigate how fake reviews are being used to manipulate online shoppers and take the strongest possible action against sites that fail to tackle this problem.”
During a further sweep of relevant platforms, the CMA highlighted new examples of fake and misleading reviews being offered for sale on Instagram. It said Facebook, which operates Instagram, had committed to investigate the issue.
A Facebook spokesperson said: “Fraudulent activity is not allowed on Facebook or Instagram, including offering or trading fake reviews. While we have invested heavily to prevent this kind of activity across our services, we know there is more work to do and are working with the CMA to address this issue.”
An eBay spokesperson commented: “We maintain zero tolerance for fake or misleading reviews and will continue to take action against any seller that breaches our user policies.”
The CMA’s investigations found businesses, agencies and individuals offering to buy or write fake reviews for cash on both online platforms, although the CMA did not believe Facebook and eBay were intentionally allowing this to happen.
