The CMA’s formal undertaking from Amazon marks a turning point in digital accountability. With the DMCC now in force, platforms face tougher scrutiny and businesses relying on online reviews must act fast to stay compliant. In this article we explore what this means for brands navigating platform risk, and why proactive review governance is no longer optional.

Published 9 June 2025

In a significant move to protect online shoppers, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured formal undertakings from Amazon to strengthen its systems for detecting and removing fake reviews.

This follows similar commitments from Google earlier this year and marks a key milestone in the CMA’s ongoing efforts to tackle misleading online content.

An undertaking, in the CMA’s context, is a formal and legally binding commitment made by a business to address regulatory concerns - often in place of formal enforcement action or litigation. It’s essentially a promise to change or improve practices to ensure compliance with consumer or competition law.

Under this undertaking, and in line with the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), Amazon has agreed to:

• enhance detection systems  to identify fake reviews and “catalogue abuse” (where sellers attach positive reviews from unrelated products to boost ratings)

• enforce tough sanctions  against businesses and users who manipulate reviews, including bans from selling or posting on the platform

• improve reporting tools to make it easier for consumers and businesses to flag suspicious content.

Why it matters

The CMA’s action reflects growing concern over the influence of online reviews, which are estimated to impact £23 billion in UK consumer spending annually. With the DMCC now in force, the CMA has greater powers to act independently, issue fines, and demand redress - signalling a new era of accountability for all digital platforms.

This development sets a clear precedent: even the largest corporations are not exempt. The obligations imposed are not only extensive, requiring proactive detection systems, enforcement mechanisms, and improved reporting tools, but they also apply broadly.

Businesses that merely display third-party platform reviews, such as Trustpilot or Google Reviews, are not immune. Under the strengthened consumer protection regime introduced by the DMCC, platforms and businesses alike must take proactive steps to ensure the integrity of online reviews or face significant regulatory consequences. Now is the time for all businesses to critically assess their review practices and ensure full alignment with the CMA’s expectations.