07:03 AM EST, 01/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates to add the company's comment in the sixth paragraph)

Alphabet's (GOOG) Google ( GOOG ) has agreed to take stronger measures to detect and remove fake reviews, UK's Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday.

The agreement comes after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation into Google ( GOOG ) over concerns it may have been breaching consumer law by failing to take sufficient action to protect people from fake reviews.

CMA said Google ( GOOG ) would enforce stricter penalties, including banning users who repeatedly post misleading reviews and removing all reviews from businesses for 6 months or more that engage in fake review practices.

The tech giant would also act more quickly to identify and investigate businesses and individuals involved in fake reviews, it added.

Google ( GOOG ) is required to report its progress to the CMA over the next three years to ensure compliance.

The company's work with regulators globally, including the CMA, is part of its ongoing efforts to combat fake content and bad actors, a Google ( GOOG ) spokesperson told MT Newswire.