The FTC has banned fake online reviews and false testimonials.

The US Federal Trade Commission has a new set rules that prohibit the use of fake customer reviews in order to make a product look better than it really is.

Lina Khan, FTC chair, posted on X the news of the new rules and the email address to report any violations. These new rules will likely have a wide-ranging impact, but it will take some time to see any noticeable effects.

The FTC must be informed of any violations that customers have experienced in order to take action. This means customers need to know the rules and how to report them. As more people become aware, the rules' full power will be realized.

They are powerful, as they prevent a wide range of problems that online shoppers face:

• Fake or false testimonials and reviews from customers, including those of celebrities
• Positive and negative reviews can be bought for positive or negative reviews
• Insider reviews
• Review sites controlled by companies
• Review suppression
• Fake social media indicators are a common occurrence.

Traditionally, false testimonials and reviews have been created by people who were paid to do so or by representatives of companies creating fake accounts, pretending to be customers. The FTC says that AI-generated fake testimonials are one of the most common methods. We're only at the tip of the iceberg.

Not all online reviews are fake. Companies that offer a service benefit from a variety of genuine customer comments.

When such comments are negative, some companies or individuals have threatened to take legal action or used physical intimidation in order to remove the review.

The FTC rules also prohibit this, including situations where a company claims to have all its reviews online when in reality a majority of them were removed because they were critical or negative of the business.

It's not easy to determine if the reviews shown are a sample or the entire collection.

It's still a good thing for online shoppers. I doubt that fake reviews will ever be eliminated, but at least there is a way to report them to the appropriate authorities.

Remember the old saying:

"If something looks too good to true, it probably is."