The government will soon require online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra to eliminate fake product reviews as it intensifies efforts to tackle this issue.

What Happened: According to a Mint report, these platforms will also face restrictions that prevent them from editing user reviews to change their meaning and will have to maintain the original content and intent of the reviews. Additionally, the platforms must not block negative reviews.

Nidhi Khare, Secretary of Consumer Affairs, announced that the ministry has proposed a quality control order (QCO) to regulate these reviews. "The proposed QCO aims to stop the publication of biased and prejudiced consumer reviews online," Khare explained.

All e-commerce companies must adhere to the new regulations, and violators will face penalties under the Consumer Protection Act and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), as QCOs are under BIS jurisdiction. Non-compliant products may be removed from online platforms.

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Why it matters: The move is critical as online reviews significantly influence consumer purchasing decisions, and the inability to physically inspect products online increases reliance on these reviews. The government’s actions follow a stakeholders’ meeting attended by representatives from major online platforms like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Flipkart.

Complaints about fake reviews have surged dramatically, from 95,270 in 2018 to 4.44 lakh in 2023, accounting for a significant portion of all consumer complaints registered with the national consumer helpline.

To implement these changes, e-commerce portals will need to establish proper mechanisms for collecting, moderating, and publishing consumer reviews, adhering to the Indian Standard IS 19000:2022. The draft QCO will soon be open for public consultation, allowing feedback and suggestions within a set timeframe.

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