Tag: CMA
CMA concerned about EV charging network, ahead of petrol ban
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has set out measures to ensure a national network of electric vehicle chargepoints is in place ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. As part of its market study into electric vehicle (EV) charging, the CMA examined whether the industry can deliver…
Amazon suspends China-based sellers following investigation
Amazon appears to have suspended a number of China-based sellers from its site which have been linked to fake and incentivised review practices. Many of the brands affected offered products that were extremely popular on the platform, regularly appearing in bestseller lists and bearing the Amazon’s Choice badge. The move follows the Competition and Markets…
CMA to investigate Amazon and Google for fake reviews
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to gather further information to determine whether Amazon and Google may have broken consumer law by taking insufficient action to protect shoppers from fake reviews. The move comes after an initial CMA investigation, which opened in May 2020, and assessed several platforms’ internal systems and processes for identifying…
Tech Digest daily round up: Tesla fined for slowing down battery charging
A court in Norway has fined Tesla after a software update issued in 2019 slowed down battery charging speeds and affected the number of miles some of its vehicles could travel between charges. The case was brought by 30 customers, reports Norwegian news platform Nettavisen. The fine amounts to 136,000 Norwegian Krone (£11,500) for each complainant.…
Tech Digest daily round up: Virgin and O2 merger approved
A £31bn merger between mobile networks Virgin Media and O2 has been provisionally approved by the UK's competition watchdog. It will create one of the UK's largest entertainment and telecoms firms, which could become a major rival to BT. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into the proposals last December. Analysts said…
Tech Digest round up: Elon Musk firm shows monkey playing Pong with mind
Neuralink, Elon Musk's computer to brain interface firm, has released a video it claims shows a monkey playing the video game Pong with its mind. Its brain signals were sent wirelessly via an implanted device. The hope is that the interface could eventually allow people with neurological conditions to control phones or computers remotely. One…
Tech Digest daily round up: Instagram to crack down on teen messages
Instagram is adding safety measures designed to protect teenagers from unwanted direct messages from adults. Older users will only be able to privately message teenagers who follow them. And messages will be overlaid with a notice reminding teenagers telling them they don't need to respond to anything that makes them uncomfortable. Of course, the measures…
Fake Google reviews used to boost UK businesses, claims Which?
Businesses across the UK are artificially boosting their online ratings by paying firms for fake Google reviews, as a booming industry in misleading information avoids detection by the tech giant, a Which? investigation has revealed. The consumer watchdog's latest research involved setting up and buying fake reviews for its own fake business listing on Google.…
Fake reviews make consumers choose poor-quality products, Which? reveals
Consumers could be more than twice as likely to choose poor-quality products when shopping online if they have been boosted by fake reviews, a behavioural experiment from Which? has revealed. The consumer watchdog simulated fake reviews and endorsement labels and found they were hugely effective at manipulating consumers into picking Don’t Buy products - items…
Coronavirus: eBay and Amazon failing to prevent profiteering, claims Which?
eBay and Amazon Marketplace are failing to crack down on a spate of coronavirus-profiteering by sellers after a Which? investigation uncovered a wide range of products for sale on marketplaces with inflated, and often ridiculous, prices. At the start of this month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned that traders should not be exploiting…
