Can fake reviews harm people who never read them?
Imagine a shopper who sees only a product’s average star rating. A fabricated review could still enter that average, even if its words go unread. The effects may also reach competing sellers whose real customers are being compared with invented ones.
Questions you could explore
- What changes when an unreliable review becomes part of a rating or ranking?
- Who bears the cost when honest and fabricated recommendations compete?
Start reading
- US Federal Trade CommissionThe Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers
The FTC explains how deceptive reviews harm shoppers and competing businesses. Its staff answers are US guidance and explicitly do not offer a legal safe harbor.
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