FTC Strengthens Regulations on Fake and Manipulative Reviews

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed new regulations that protect consumers from fake positive reviews to promote services or products.


The new rules will aim to combat the practice of posting fake positive reviews by extinguishing bad ones.


"Our goal is to crack down on fake reviews and other forms of misleading marketing while warning marketers who try on stealth advertising that targets kids." Director at the FTC's Bureau for Consumer Protection, Samuel Levine had this message for those trying to scam consumers with their manipulative reviews.


People are more likely to buy from a brand if they see reviews and recommendations. Fakers make things difficult for honest businesses by posting fake ones, hiding the fact that their posts were paid content meant especially for clicks or likes (the latter being called 'influencer marketing'), which results in customers paying more for services or goods when there's nothing special about them at all.


The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning to social media platforms about their insufficient methods for disclosing sponsored posts. This could open them up in court if fake reviews are posted on social media sites.


It is clear that fake reviews are covered under the new rule, and advertisers should not misquote what consumers believe of their products or services by editing, suppressing, or boosting their reviews. All social media posts and those made by virtual influencers must follow these rules as well.


The Federal Trade Commission has announced that they will be holding a public event in October 2022 to focus specifically on the capacity of children at different ages and developmental stages to discern advertising content and determine it from others.


We take a realistic approach to reviews because our reputation is more important than the product itself. We don't aim for negative feedback, but if it's necessary, we'll provide constructive criticism that can help them improve.


We are committed to providing adult gamers, tech enthusiasts, and parents of gamers with responsible advice on what they're buying when making these decisions so that they know exactly where they will be getting without regrets.


There's value in keeping it real, and we get a warm fuzzy feeling when our audience loves products they purchased based on... our reviews (because then you can look at us and know exactly what we're talking about). To be honest, I've recommended more products than I've reviewed, and that was one of my motivations to write reviews (the love was already there). - Blu



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