FTC's rule banning fake online reviews goes into effect

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 7:45 PM EDT, October 21, 2024


WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal rule banning fake online reviews is now in effect.

The Federal Trade Commission issued the rule in August banning the sale or purchase of online reviews. The rule, which went into effect Monday, allows the agency to seek civil penalties against those who knowingly violate it.

“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said about the rule in August. She added that the rule will “protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.”

Specifically, the rule bans reviews and testimonials attributed to people who don’t exist or are generated by artificial intelligence, people who don’t have experience with the business or product/services, or misrepresent their experience.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ftc-rule-fake-reviews-ban-b7e57e33c1818fa58dd742a921643239

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Wow! About time!!!

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I know it won't stop all of the fake reviews

but might at least cut them down some - notably the small outlets that aren't using "professional" fake review services!

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Good Grief! Another of those instances where "there ought to be a law!"

[2naSalit]

4. Only...

A couple-few decades overdue.

[Farmer-Rick]

5. Oh thank god

I get tired of trying to figure out the fake reviews from the real reviews. I have made some awful purchases because of those fake reviews.

[3catwoman3]

6. How can you tell...

…if a review is fake?

[skypilot]

7. I think that you can get a feel for it over time.

For me it's reviews that sound a bit pat and bland:

"Works great. Very affordable."

"I love this product. Would purchase again."

Stuff like that. Of course, not all of these kinds of reviews are necessarily fake but, like I said, you can start to get a feel.
I usually go straight to the negative reviews to see if there are any specific issues with a product that multiple people mention. That is usually how I ultimately come to a decision about whether or not to make the purchase. It's not necessarily fool-proof but it's something to go by.

[PedroXimenez]

16. or if it sounds like ad copy

My husband loves the shirt, he can wear it to the golf course and to dinner!

[skypilot]

17. Yes

"Less filling. Tastes great!"

Some of them do resonate that way.

[Farmer-Rick]

8. Well, if there are a lot of weird word choices

Or misspellings in 5 stars. Lack of any identifying details in 5 stars.

I look at the 3 and 4 stars. Who would buy fake reviews with 4 stars? Fakers always give 5 stars.

And then I look at how many 1 and 2 stars there are. Total count of them not particularly what they are saying. Again fake reviews are 5 stars but if there are 100s of 1 and 2 stars stay away.

Sometimes 1 and 2 stars are just angry people or a competitor. If they recommend some other product, take it with a grain of salt. If they complain about delivery and packaging, that's usually a local post office issue and I don't put a lot of weight on those complaints. If they complain about things I don't really care about like color for a kitchen gadget or bagginess in a baggy sweater, I don't put much weight on them.

It requires looking at the reviews carefully. There are apps that will evaluate a rating based on reviews for you but they get it wrong a lot too.

[Born Free]

13. Me too, fell for "Honest Review"

Yes, now avoid any that claim free gifts for "honest reviews" - I found switching from top reviews to "most recent" gives a better mix

[RobinA]

9. How Is This

enforceable?

[mdbl]

10. Sounds like a cat and mouse situation

They prosecute one over there and a hundred more pop up somewhere else.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. I expect many of these are done by bot farms

so if they can determine, even if using spoofed IPs, some source locations, they can shut that down.

When it comes to places like Amazon, there is a feature to filter out and look at "verified purchasers" only. So that makes it easier for a buyer to make a decision and isolates any "mass fraudulent reviews". I do know that I have seen reviews from people who have claimed to have purchased a product elsewhere but used it and wanted to add some comments, but that would still flag them as not being a "verified" purchaser (on Amazon). Sometimes that info can be useful too but like everything else, caveat emptor!

[ampm]

11. Just wondering about the insurance propaganda MA

I see online ads. saying your medicare plans are ready to look at only to direct you to MA plans

[maxsolomon]

14. LOL, good luck

We've got a local Italian restaurant that is truly underwhelming, but it regularly gets hilarious, glowing 5-start reviews that push the real reviews far down in the results.

They're small fry; the FTC won't make them stop.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. "the FTC won't make them stop"

The finalization of the Rule and it finally being "in effect", NOW gives them the "authority" to "make them stop".

I expect they may set up some kind "hotline" or reporting structure (or roll this into any existing one) so people can "report" on such, and then they can legally investigate it.