E-commerce giants support government's proposal to curb fake reviews

Major e-commerce companies in India, including Amazon, Flipkart, Google, and Meta, have supported the government's proposal to enforce quality norms for consumer reviews. The consumer affairs department announced this development on Wednesday after a meeting with these stakeholders. The proposal aims to implement the IS 19000:2022 standard on 'online consumer reviews'.

Fake consumer review

Representatives from these companies agreed that mandatory compliance is crucial to protect consumers from misleading reviews on shopping websites and apps. The draft order will soon be released for public consultation.

"The discussion on moving towards a Quality Control Order for IS 19000:2022 was welcomed by stakeholders, and there was a general consensus that addressing fake reviews is important for protecting consumer interests while shopping online," the department stated.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, who chaired the meeting, emphasized the significance of this standard. She pointed out that online shoppers rely heavily on reviews for products they cannot physically inspect. "The presence of fake reviews online jeopardizes the trustworthiness of platforms and can lead to wrong purchase decisions," the department's statement highlighted.

The IS 19000:2022 standard sets specific responsibilities for review authors and administrators. It mandates that review authors be identified, prohibits editing reviews to alter their message, and bans actions that prevent or discourage negative reviews.

This move follows a failed voluntary initiative to curb fake reviews effectively. The consumer affairs department reported a surge in e-commerce-related complaints, rising to 4,44,034 in 2023 from 95,270 in 2018, comprising 43% of total registered grievances.

The government had previously issued voluntary quality norms for e-tailers, which included prohibiting paid reviews and requiring disclosure of promotional content. However, these voluntary norms did not significantly reduce fake reviews.

Consumer activist Pushpa Girimji, present at the meeting, stressed the importance of enforceability. She remarked, "Enforceability of such standards will be key to checking the menace of fake reviews effectively."

The stakeholders' support marks a significant step toward ensuring the authenticity of online reviews, thereby enhancing consumer trust in e-commerce platforms.

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