If you always read customer reviews before purchasing a product, you will be happy to know that these reviews should soon become more reliable. New legislation aimed at putting an end to fake customer reviews has now come into force.

Last August, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new rule that would make it illegal to create, buy or sell fake reviews. With the legislation in place, the FTC would have the authority to impose civil penalties on those who knowingly violate these rules. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), FTC Chair Lina Khan announced that the rule is now active. Along with this announcement, Khan also shared an email address that consumers can use to report violations to the FTC.

As a review, here’s what’s included in the rule:

• Prohibition of fake reviews: The rule prohibits the creation or distribution of fake reviews, whether AI-generated or not. This includes reviews that do not accurately reflect someone’s actual experience with a product or service. Businesses cannot create, purchase or distribute these misleading reviews if they know or should know that they are false.
• No incentive for reviews: Businesses are now prohibited from offering rewards or incentives in exchange for specific types of reviews, whether glowing or critical. This applies whether the offer is made directly or subtly.
• Disclosure for Insider Reviews: If a company internal writes a review, it must clearly indicate their connection with the company. The rule also prohibits executives and managers from soliciting opinions from employees or their relatives.
• Transparency on company-controlled review sites: Companies cannot mislead consumers into believing that review sites they control provide independent opinions. This rule ensures transparency about which reviews are authentic.
• Protection against review deletion: Businesses are now prohibited from using threats or intimidation to remove negative reviews. They also cannot misrepresent the number of reviews on their site by removing unfavorable reviews.
• Fake statistics on social networks: The sale or purchase of false social media statistics, such as followers or views, is prohibited when the intent is to mislead consumers about the buyer’s influence.

As markets become flooded with less than authentic reviews, this could have a big impact on the landscape. However, this rule’s potential to bring about much-needed change depends on the consumer’s efforts to report violations. This also requires consumers to be aware of this decision, where a single social media post might not be enough to get the message across. Additionally, it can be difficult to enforce certain parts of the rule, such as proving that a business removes negative reviews.

It looks like we’ll have to wait and see if this rule manages to change the status quo. If so, it will probably be a while before we notice anything. Regardless, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have this rule in effect.