{"id":180294,"date":"2023-04-05T01:12:11","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T00:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=180294"},"modified":"2023-04-06T07:19:09","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T06:19:09","slug":"faking-online-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/ecommerce-online-business\/faking-online-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Risks of Faking Online Reviews to My UK eCommerce Business?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Some UK eCommerce business owners make the mistake of faking online reviews as an easy way to boost their brand\u2019s reputation and attract more customers. However, this practice can result in serious legal risks that can negatively impact your business in the long run. This article will explore the primary legal risks to your UK eCommerce business of utilising fake customer reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are \u2018Fake\u2019 Online Reviews?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Online reviews are a crucial part of the online shopping experience, and research has shown that over 90% of consumers read online reviews before purchasing. As a result, many eCommerce businesses go to great lengths to generate positive reviews for their products and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, some business owners resort to fraudulent reviews to manipulate their online reputation. The practice of faking online reviews is known as <em>review fraud. <\/em>This can involve creating fake accounts to post positive reviews or paying individuals to post fake reviews. Review fraud can also include deleting negative reviews, which can mislead consumers and violate their trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us now consider the legal risks of faking online reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Breach of Competition Law<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Faking online reviews can constitute a breach of competition laws. This is because fake reviewers can distort the market and create unfair competition, leading to a disadvantage for honest businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/competition-and-markets-authority\">Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)<\/a> has stated that businesses that use fake reviews to promote their products or services may breach consumer protection and competition law. One of the CMA\u2019s primary purposes is to encourage a level playing field and ensure businesses that comply with the relevant rules are not disadvantaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"not-prose\">0808 196 8584<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center 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Breach of Advertising Standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Faking online reviews can also breach advertising standards set by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asa.org.uk\/\">Advertising Standards Agency<\/a> (ASA). The ASA is an independent regulator that enforces advertising standards in the UK. They have issued guidelines for online reviews, which require businesses to ensure that reviews are genuine and unbiased.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ASA can investigate any form of advertising deemed misleading, false or exaggerated and may lead to legal action. In particular, the ASA has the power to investigate complaints and take enforcement action against businesses that violate the code, including fines, sanctions and restrictions on advertising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Data Protection Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Faking online reviews can also breach data protection laws. Your business must comply with the <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/data-privacy-it\/how-does-gdpr-affect-my-business\/\">General Data Protection Regulation<\/a> (GDPR) and collect, process and store personal data securely and transparently. This includes data collected from individuals who post reviews regarding your products and services on your website.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses that engage in faking online reviews collect personal information from people to create fake reviews. This personal data may include the following:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>names;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/ecommerce-online-business\/email-marketing\/\">email addresses<\/a>; and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>other identifying information.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The collection of personal data for this purpose is subject to data protection regulations, and businesses must obtain the explicit consent of real customers before publishing online reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Misusing personal data can result in hefty fines of up to \u00a317.5m from the <a href=\"https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/\">Information Commissioner\u2019s Office<\/a> (ICO). Moreover, it can significantly damage your reputation. Ultimately, this defeats the purpose of falsifying good reviews to increase your bottom line, as you will pay out hefty financial penalties to the ICO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"my-7 lg:my-10 border-y-2 border-gray-100 py-7 lg:py-10 flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start gap-10\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-52 mx-auto my-0! rounded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/06164254\/uk-startup-manual-290x410-1.jpg\" alt=\"Front page of publication\"\n                 loading=\"lazy\" width=\"208\" height=\"298\">\n                <section>\n            <div class=\"text-2xl font-bold\">UK Startup Manual<\/div>\n            <div class=\"body-text\">\n                <p>LegalVision&#8217;s Startup Manual is essential reading material for any startup founder looking to launch and grow a successful startup.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n            \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/go.legalvision.co.uk\/uk-startup-manual.html\" class=\" block px-5 py-3.5 max-w-fit bg-orange button__hover transition rounded text-white font-bold text-lg no-underline uppercase leading-tight text-center\" target=\"\" rel=\"\">Download Now<\/a>        <\/section>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Harm to Your Company\u2019s Reputation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fake online reviews can also harm your business\u2019s reputation and credibility. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of review fraud and quickly spot fake positive reviews. If your company engages in review fraud, it can damage your brand\u2019s reputation and lead to losing customer trust.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--idea\">\n    <p>Rather, aim to prioritise transparency and honesty in your online marketing. For example, encourage genuine customer reviews and respond to negative feedback constructively. By building a reputation based on honesty and trust, you can establish a loyal customer base and sustainably grow your business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, faking online reviews may seem like a quick and easy way to improve your eCommerce business\u2019s reputation. However, the legal risks of doing so can be severe and can negatively impact your business in the long run. To avoid these risks, you must prioritise transparency and honesty in your online marketing and build a reputation based on trust and credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need help with legal advice regarding online reviews, our experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/services\/ecommerce-online-business\/\">e-commerce and online business lawyers<\/a> can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0808 196 8584<\/a> or visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/membership\/\">membership page<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1680653294072\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How savvy are potential customers about deceptive reviews?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Modern online consumers are increasingly aware of the practice of false reviews. In this way, many individuals will google your company and check review sites if your website reviews appear too good to be true.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1680653302984\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How can you differentiate between genuine reviews and false reviews?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The main way is to consider the most recent reviews together and examine whether they share too many similarities (such as the style of writing, number of stars or name of the &#8216;reviewer&#8217;).<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"9eb4f72322\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180294\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/ecommerce-online-business\/faking-online-reviews\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"Legal Risks of Faking Online Reviews to My UK eCommerce Business?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some UK eCommerce business owners make the mistake of faking online reviews as an easy way to boost their brand\u2019s reputation and attract more customers. However, this practice can result in serious legal risks that can negatively impact your business in the long run. This article will explore the primary legal risks to your UK<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/ecommerce-online-business\/faking-online-reviews\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;Legal Risks of Faking Online Reviews to My UK eCommerce Business?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13349,"featured_media":3244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"2898,171808,177196,179827,175547,874","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[20,21,365,379],"class_list":["post-180294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ecommerce-online-business","tag-small-business","tag-medium-business","tag-gdpr","tag-ecommerce"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with 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