UK secures action from Amazon to tackle fake reviews
HighlightsAmazon has pledged to combat fake reviews and will impose sanctions on British businesses that artificially inflate their ratings through fraudulent posts, as stated by the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. The Competition and Markets Authority's investigation revealed issues related to 'catalogue abuse', where sellers mislead consumers by using reviews from unrelated, well-performing products to enhance their own ratings. Under its enhanced powers, the Competition and Markets Authority can independently determine violations of consumer law and take enforcement actions, including imposing fines and mandating improvements in business practices.
Amazon
has committed to do more to tackle fake reviews, including sanctioning British businesses that boost their ratings through bogus posts, the country's competition watchdog said on Friday.
Following a four-year probe, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Amazon's undertakings also addressed its concerns about '
catalogue abuse
' where sellers use the reviews of well-performing unrelated products to boost ratings and mislead customers.
Companies that break the rules could be banned from selling on the ecommerce giant's platform altogether, while users who post fake reviews could be banned from posting reviews.
Amazon also committed to robust processes to quickly detect and remove fake reviews and catalogue abuse, the CMA said.
The regulator, which estimates that 90% of consumers use
online reviews
to inform purchases, began investigating Amazon and Google in 2021 over possible breaches of
consumer protection law
. It secured similar commitments from Google in January.
"These new commitments matter and help set the standard," CMA boss Sarah Cardell said in a statement.
The watchdog is conducting an initial sweep of review platforms following the release of new reviews guidance in April, seeking to identify platforms that may need to do more to comply with consumer law.
Under its newly-granted powers, the CMA can independently decide whether consumer law has been infringed and take action in case of breaches, including issuing fines and ordering businesses to improve their practices.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Apple iPhone 16 is available for Rs 24,900 on Amazon; know how to grab the deal
iPhone 16 Apple's iPhone 16, unveiled during the "It's Glowtime" launch event on September 9, 2024, is now listed on Amazon India with a notable discount, making it a strong contender in the premium smartphone category. The original pricing stood at Rs 79,990 for the 128GB model, Rs 89,990 for the 256GB version, and Rs 1,09,990 for the 512GB variant. Currently, the 128GB Black edition is being offered at a reduced rate. With Amazon's exchange program, buyers can bring the effective cost down to just Rs 24,900, making the latest iPhone more accessible to users looking to upgrade to top-tier Apple innovation. Apple iPhone 16 (128GB, Black) Amazon deal: Check exchange deal and bank offer On Amazon India, the iPhone 16 (128 GB, Black) is currently available at a discounted price of Rs 73,500, reflecting an 8% markdown from its original listed price. Customers can further reduce the effective cost significantly by exchanging a well-maintained iPhone 15, which can fetch up to Rs 42,550 as a trade-in value. This brings the net price down to Rs 30,950. iPhone 16 exchange deal In addition, those using the Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card are eligible for an extra discount of up to Rs 6,050. When combined, all these offers can bring the final price of the iPhone 16 down to as low as Rs 24,900. iPhone 16 specifications Display : The iPhone 16 comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display, offering a resolution of 2556x1179 pixels and a pixel density of 460 ppi. It holds an IP68 rating, providing protection against water, splashes, and dust. Camera : A key feature of the iPhone 16 is the Camera Control, which grants quick access to visual intelligence, allowing users to recognize objects and locations swiftly. It enables fast camera access for taking photos or recording videos. An upcoming update will further enhance these visual intelligence capabilities. The iPhone 16 is equipped with a 48MP Fusion camera, featuring a 2x telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. It also includes a 12MP TrueDepth front camera with an ƒ/1.9 aperture for selfies. The phone supports spatial photo and video capture, and new audio editing tools like Audio Mix allow users to adjust post-capture sound, simulate studio-quality recordings, or balance vocal tracks with environmental noise. Wind noise reduction is improved through machine learning, minimising background disturbances. Processor: Powered by the A18 Bionic chip, the iPhone 16 leverages second-generation 3-nanometer technology to enhance Apple Intelligence performance. Its 16-core Neural Engine is optimised for running large generative models, performing machine learning tasks up to twice as fast as the A16 chip. The 6-core CPU delivers a 30% performance boost over its predecessor. Apple Intelligence: Operating on iOS 18, the iPhone 16 introduces Apple Intelligence, a suite of advanced features available as a free software update. The initial rollout, starting next month, will cover several global regions in U.S. English. Apple Intelligence integrates writing tools into iOS 18, allowing users to rewrite, proofread, and summarise text in apps like Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party platforms. In Notes and Phone apps, users can record, transcribe, and summarise audio. During phone calls, recordings notify participants, and post-call, Apple Intelligence provides a summary of key conversation points. Also read | Elon Musk is an illegal alien...': Donald Trump is urged by former White House official to deport Musk immediately
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
FTA sealed, UK's top diplomat in India on Saturday to prep for PM Starmer visit
NEW DELHI:UK foreign secretary David Lammy will visit India on Saturday to review bilateral relations, especially trade and strategic ties, with his counterpart S Jaishankar a month after the two countries finalised a free trade agreement (FTA). Lammy's trip will prepare the ground for a planned visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is expected to be in India in the near future for the formal signing of the FTA, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. Shortly after his arrival in New Delhi on Saturday morning for the visit, Lammy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will then hold talks with Jaishankar to review the bilateral relationship. Lammy will also meet commerce minister Piyush Goyal late on Saturday before departing early on Sunday morning. On May 6, India and the UK clinched the FTA that is expected to boost Indian exports of textiles, leather and engineering goods and cut levies on British whisky, automobiles and medical devices. The deal between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies was finalised three years after Modi and his former British counterpart Boris Johnson set a target of concluding the FTA by October 2022. India and the UK are currently engaged in the legal scrubbing of the text of the FTA, a process that is expected to take about three months, the people said. Once this process is completed, it will pave the way for a visit by Starmer for the formal signing of the trade deal, the people said. Hours after India and the UK announced the finalisation of the trade deal, India launched targeted military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. Lammy was among the world leaders who were engaged in efforts to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan before they halted military operations through an understanding on May 10. He was in frequent contact with the Indian government and spoke to Jaishankar on May 15. Lammy made a two-day visit to Islamabad from May 16 and welcomed the truce between India and Pakistan. He also asserted the importance of continued stability for the region. The hostilities had concerned the UK government as Britain has sizeable Indian and Pakistani diasporas. 'Ever since the horrendous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the UK has done all it can to play a supportive role to reduce tensions, get to a ceasefire and condemn terrorism,' Lammy said while in Islamabad. He described India and Pakistan as 'great friends to the UK' and said the UK is 'determined to play our part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace'. Ahead of Lammy's visit to New Delhi, India and the UK held their annual foreign office consultations and the first Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue on June 3. These discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, defence, counter-terrorism, green energy and health and measures to address export controls for enabling greater technology cooperation in strategic sectors.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
8 hours ago
- Business Standard
Amazon lays off employees in Books division as part of cost-cutting plan
Amazon has announced a new round of job cuts, this time affecting its Books division. Fewer than 100 employees have been let go, including staff from Kindle operations and the popular book review platform, Goodreads. The company told Reuters the decision was aimed at improving efficiency and aligning with its long-term goals. 'We've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organisation,' said an Amazon spokesperson. They added that the cuts were part of broader efforts to streamline operations. This is not the first time Amazon has reduced its workforce in recent months. Earlier layoffs have impacted several departments, such as the devices and services team, Wondery podcast unit, and its stores and communications staff. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has been open about reducing 'unnecessary layers of management and internal bureaucracy.' His goal is to make the company more responsive and efficient in the face of changing economic conditions. Despite the job cuts, Amazon added around 4,000 roles in the first quarter of 2025. The latest round of layoffs was first reported by Business Insider, suggesting Amazon is continuing to make targeted changes to its workforce as part of its long-term strategy. P&G also announces major job cuts Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has also revealed plans to reduce its workforce by around 7,000 jobs — about 6 per cent of its total staff — over the next two years. This is part of a wider restructuring programme aimed at tackling uneven consumer demand and increased costs caused by tariff uncertainties. During the Deutsche Bank Consumer Conference in Paris, P&G executives mentioned they would also exit some product categories and brands in specific markets. The company said this restructuring could involve certain divestitures, though no specific details were shared. Wider job cuts across tech industry The tech sector continues to face widespread layoffs. According to layoff tracker Trueup, over 62,000 employees have lost their jobs across 284 companies during the first five months of 2025. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Intel have all announced significant job reductions. In May 2025 alone, more than 16,000 tech workers were laid off. The report also noted that nearly 240,000 tech employees lost their jobs in 2024. Analysts suggest that global economic uncertainty, high interest rates, inflation, and over-hiring during the pandemic are key reasons for the ongoing job cuts. Many companies are now focused on "right-sizing" their teams to match current levels of demand. Microsoft, Meta Google restructure workforces Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently addressed the issue in a company Town Hall. According to reports, Nadella explained that the latest layoffs were part of a 'reorganisation rather than performance'. Google has also steadily reduced its workforce throughout 2025. In May alone, the company laid off around 200 people from its Global Business Organisation. Earlier, roles were cut from its Pixel hardware, Android, Chrome, and Google Cloud teams. These changes are reportedly linked to automation and a shift in business priorities. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is also expected to lay off around 3,600 employees in 2025. The company stated that this is part of a performance-based restructuring initiative.
