Google has agreed to take stronger actions against fake reviews in the UK, committing to improve fraudulent activity detection and sanction those involved in manipulating ratings.

This comes after an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns that Google wasn’t doing enough to tackle the issue.

CMA’s chief executive Sarah Cardell said: “left unchecked, fake reviews damage people’s trust and leave businesses who do the right thing at a disadvantage”.

As part of the agreement, UK businesses caught inflating their star ratings with fake reviews will face severe consequences.

These include prominent warning alerts on their profiles, temporary deactivation of their review functions, and the removal of all reviews for a minimum of six months.

Individuals who repeatedly post fake reviews, regardless of their location, will also have their reviews deleted and be banned from submitting further reviews.

Cardell added: “These changes will give consumers confidence in reviews and help level the playing field for businesses that play fair.”

Online reviews are a significant factor in consumer spending decisions, with an estimated £23bn of UK spending influenced by reviews every year.