US FTC FINALIZES BAN ON COMPANIES BUYING AND SELLING FAKE ONLINE REVIEWS

Summary from the TLDR Marketing newsletter

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has finalized a ban on companies buying or selling fake online reviews, empowering the agency to impose fines of up to $51,744 per violation. The ban targets fake reviews from non-existent customers, company insiders, or AI, and also prohibits buying fabricated views or followers. The rule does not require platforms to verify the authenticity of consumer reviews. It has gained support from companies like Google, Amazon, and Yelp.