6 ms·

And is it illegal? I'm pretty sure paying for fake negative reviews of competition is illegal, because there is a clear victim. But how about positive reviews o

• lutusp 14y ago
  > And is it illegal? No, in most places it isn't. If a consumer was misled by a planted, phony review and bought an inferior product, he could go to civil court and demand monetary compensation, but civil courts largely deal with the kinds of damage claims that don't involve the legality of an action, only its harm. Just remember that an illegal action would be prosecuted in a criminal court. A claim of harm would be prosecuted in a civil court. Most of the activity surrounding phony reviews is not about the legality of the activity, but how much harm the public exposure might do to a company's reputation. > I'm pretty sure paying for fake negative reviews of competition is illegal, because there is a clear victim. Even in that case, it's not a question of "illegal" as much as misleading, and the remedies are usually civil, not criminal.
  • pbhjpbhj 14y ago
    Posting fake positive reviews is illegal in Europe under the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.
    • lutusp 14y ago
      That's good news -- now if the U.S. will just catch up with the EU.
• josephlord 14y ago
  I think in Europe it should be illegal throughout the EU under the Unfair Commercial Practices directive. This would apply to any fake reviews.