Italy’s government is proposing a new law to regulate online reviews (Image: Getty Images)
is launching a crackdown on the fake and paid online reviews that have been misleading tourists across the globe.
In an ambitious move, the Italian government has unveiled a draft law aimed at regulating online evaluations for hotels, eateries, and hotspots.
Under this proposed legislation, credibility and transparency would be at the forefront; reviewers would need to present verifiable identification, as well as proof of their actual visit to the location they’re reviewing.
Furthermore, all reviews would have to be uploaded within a fortnight following the visit, with fraudulent feedback eligible for removal up to two years post-publication.
The complexity arises, however, as the bill remains silent on who would determine the truth of the reviews. Additionally, the new rules seek to ban reviews that were bought or obtained through incentives.
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Italy is launching a crackdown on fake and paid online reviews (Image: Getty Images)
“Today marks an important step for the protection of our businesses,” declared Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche, as reported by RTE, Ireland’s public service broadcaster.
Although fabricating reviews is already against the law in Italy, enforcing this has proven tough.
If passed, the bill task Italy’s anti-trust watchdog with overseeing reviews and imposing penalties as necessary, reports The Mirror.
The proposed legislation has been met with mixed reactions, with some industry groups welcoming it, while others express concerns about privacy and the potential decline in online reviews.
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The Italian government has unveiled a draft law aimed at regulating online evaluations (Image: Getty)
Michele Carrus, chair of consumer group Federconsumatori, weighed in on the issue: “Fake reviews are a problem for fair competition between companies because they can have a big impact on sales, and are also a problem for consumers who can be misled.
“The problem needed to be addressed. It’s difficult to do it the right way, but I’m confident we can achieve that during the parliamentary debate.”
The Guardian highlighted the growing issue of fake reviews in 2023, noting the role of artificial intelligence in generating non-genuine content.
In 2022, Tripadvisor flagged 1.3million reviews as fake, while the previous year saw the removal of 2.7million such reviews.
Google reported to Guardian Money that it had blocked or removed approximately 115million fake reviews across various businesses in 2022.
These fraudulent reviews not only mislead consumers but can also damage brands’ reputations and disrupt market fairness.