No more fake product reviews allowed under FTC rule
By 
Adrianne Appel2024-08-19T19:24:00
A new rule by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will crack down on fake product reviews, whether written by humans or artificial intelligence (AI).
The rule, made final Wednesday in a 5-0 vote, will prohibit the buying and selling of product reviews or “testimonials” that pretend to be from a consumer or neutral party but were written by a person with a financial interest.
The rule, which also will ban fake reviews written by AI, takes effect in about two months.
Related articles
-
PremiumU.K. competition and markets regulator wields new power to combat fake online reviews
Fake reviews of products and services are a global phenomenon, but regulators in the U.K. are beginning to use newly expanded powers to protect buyers and honest competitors following a recent crackdown by U.S. authorities.
-
News BriefFTC orders Vroom to pay $1M after it ‘sped right past compliance’
Vroom, the former online used car dealer, agreed to pay $1 million to settle allegations by the Federal Trade Commission that it didn’t abide by consumer protection laws, including providing prompt refunds.
-
News BriefWilliams-Sonoma fined record $3.2M over admitted ‘Made in USA’ order violations
Kitchen and home retail company Williams-Sonoma agreed to pay nearly $3.2 million for failing to comply with a 2020 administrative order by the Federal Trade Commission prohibiting its marketing of imported goods as made in the United States.
More from Regulatory Policy
-
ArticleCalifornia climate rules cause uncertainty as CARB delays draft guidance
California has delayed the release of draft greenhouse gas reporting rules for businesses until early 2026, the California Air Resources Board said.
-
PremiumNew EU Data Act may impact companies’ GDPR compliance efforts
New rules that have recently come into effect across the EU will allow for greater transfers of data between companies, though experts fear the changes could conflict with Europe’s strict privacy legislation, which protects personal information.
-
ArticleNine states collaborating on data privacy enforcement across state lines
Nine states are collaborating to write and enforce comprehensive data privacy laws, in an effort to protect consumers across jurisdictions and due to the absence of a broad, federal privacy law.