The maximum fine is 350,000! Amazon is cracking down on fake reviews!

As we all know, Amazon has always had zero tolerance for fake reviews. Now it is not limited to the platform. This year, it has teamed up with Google and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to crack down on fake reviews!

These actions show that fake review practices are being cracked down on more strictly and sellers face greater challenges in maintaining their brand reputation and customer trust.

Some cross-border e-commerce sellers may know that the FTC proposed a policy against fake reviews in 2022. According to the latest news, the final rules of the policy have now been finalized.

The new regulations clearly prohibit the creation, purchase or sale of false reviews. Violators may be fined up to US$50,000 (approximately RMB 350,000) each time!

The new rule, titled "Final Trade Regulatory Rule Regarding the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials," will take effect 60 days after being published in the U.S. Federal Register.

The rules prohibit details as follows:

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that advertising must be truthful, which means that any form of fake orders must disclose the economic interests behind it. Sellers need to be aware of the legal risks that fake orders and false reviews may bring!

In short, this time the FTC's final rules are aimed at combating false reviews and abuses, protecting consumer interests and maintaining fair competition in the market. Companies need to pay attention to these regulations and ensure that their actions meet compliance requirements to avoid legal risks and reputational damage.

In recent years, Amazon has been cracking down on those who violate its policies, including suspensions, bans, or legal actions. In 2024, Amazon has further increased its efforts to crack down on such violations.

> Amazon and Google file new lawsuit against fake review sites

On October 28, according to foreign media reports, Amazon and Google filed lawsuits in federal court against a man and Bigboostup, a website he controlled that posted fake reviews, accusing the website of facilitating false product and business reviews against Amazon and Google and selling false reviews to bad merchants to post on Amazon stores, Google searches, and Google Maps.

> Amazon wins first lawsuit against fake orders and fake reputation, and wins a great victory in the final trial

Recently, the first domestic case of Amazon fake orders and fake reputation unfair competition has entered the second instance, and the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court has made a final judgment: rejecting the defendant's appeal and upholding the first instance judgment. The first instance determined that the defendant's service provider had indeed violated the relevant provisions of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, and ordered the defendant to make a public statement to eliminate the impact and compensate Amazon for economic losses and reasonable expenses totaling 800,000 yuan.

>Amazon and Better Business Bureau jointly sue

In July, Amazon and the Better Business Bureau jointly filed a joint lawsuit against the violating operator ReviewServiceUSA.com, accusing it of selling fake reviews to violating operators on Amazon product pages and Better Business Bureau profiles.

Amazon pointed out that consumers rely heavily on product reviews when making purchasing decisions, and false product reviews and feedback will seriously damage the trust of customers, sellers and manufacturers in the platform, thereby damaging Amazon's brand image.

In addition to confronting illegal activities, on the technical level, Amazon uses advanced monitoring systems and algorithms to monitor comments on the platform in real time to ensure that only real user experiences are published.

Amazon is also trying to nip fake orders and reputation manipulation in the bud by spot-checking store accounts and launching artificial intelligence tools. It can be said that any attempt to manipulate reviews will be strictly scrutinized and dealt with.

For sellers, Amazon's continued crackdown on false reviews should serve as a reminder that false reviews can only bring temporary benefits. In a healthy and upward market environment, such behavior will never be exposed. Sellers should still adhere to the bottom line of legal operations to avoid becoming the target of the platform's crackdown and ultimately losing both the wife and the army.