FTC bans fake online reviews, inflated social media influence; rule takes effect in October
www.cnbc.com
Amazon sued more than 10,000 Facebook group administrators in July 2022 for allegedly brokering fake reviews.

Takes effect in October, finally some good news

    • @FlowVoidEnglish
      18•4 months ago

      Here’s one way to enforce it: the FTC could set up fronts that sell fake reviews. If anyone tries to buy fake reviews, the FTC busts them.

      After doing this enough, companies will be suspicious of anyone selling fake reviews. Maybe suspicious enough to not risk buying them. Kind of like how it’s common knowledge that every supposed killer-for-hire is actually an FBI agent waiting to arrest you.

      Eventually, nobody want to buy fake reviews. And when nobody wants to pay for them, they will disappear.

      • @mlgEnglish
        2•4 months ago

        That only works for 3rd party vendors.

        Amazon doesn’t even bother and just does shady content filtering to make their products always appear first and show real reviews that they think will make you buy the product.

        There’s a partial chance they can shadow ban reviews or screw with the total rating too, but I think they entice enough people to produce a passable rating, even if the product is subpar.

        Still anything is a start, FTC been making rounds lately.

      • FuglyDuckEnglish
        1•4 months ago

        Well the ones that call themselves that are probably fbi agents.

        The real ones likely don’t take walkins.

        • @FlowVoidEnglish
          1•4 months ago

          They have to find clients somehow. Whatever they are doing, the FTC can do.

    • @mke
      3•4 months ago

      Perhaps the value is in having something explicitly written in a book, so that we can actually throw it at them.

      They won’t catch all cases, but maybe the fear of slipping and becoming the unlucky company that gets caught and punished will have a positive effect on the industry.

      I don’t have a backgrounder in law, this is simply optimistic speculation in response to pessimistic speculation.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•4 months ago

      To post a review, submit your SSN / verify with a third party.

      Cue a whole new identity sales & theft industry!

      (I’ve wanted to see some verified reviewer concept for a long time now but it seems dangerous and only half useful.)

      • @[email protected]
        2•4 months ago

        Amazon marks your review with a special flag if you purchased the product. Still plenty of fake reviews.