Review bombing has become a way of life, as shows like Star Wars: The Acolyte have been inundated with fake reviews bashing the series. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is taking action against fake reviews and A.I.-generated reviews. But this doesn’t mean that the federal government is going to show up at your door if you leave a negative review.
As laid out on the FTC’s official site, the new rule isn’t targeting individuals who write bad reviews out of spite. Instead, it’s going after reviews–either written by people or artificial intelligence–that accept compensation in return for favorable coverage and false testimonials. These practices artificially suppress real reviews, and often misrepresent their products.
“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan in a statement. “By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final 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.”
Essentially, companies will no longer be allowed to buy reviews without also stating that they were written by A.I. or by someone who never actually used the product. Businesses are also prohibited from offering real consumers any kind of incentive to leave a review, either positive or negative.
Since the new rule has already been adopted, it will go into effect 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.
