TL;DR The FTC has banned fake reviews and testimonials. Businesses can’t buy, sell, or create fake reviews. They also can’t suppress negative reviews or mislead consumers about the authenticity of reviews. Violators could face hefty fines.

The final rule covers

• Fake or False Consumer Reviews, Consumer Testimonials, and Celebrity Testimonials
• Companies buying positive or negative reviews
• Insider Reviews and Consumer Testimonials must be disclosed
• Fake testimonial websites
• Suppressing negative reviews such as what happened to us with Wonder Weeks.
• Fake social media indicators

As I regularly get and turn down cash offers for reviews (and then see them elsewhere,) and have noted that Amazon is a vast wasteland of bought five star reviews, it’s nice to see something being done. Even if I don’t expect the FTC to actually do much about it.

The rule comes into effect 60 days from when it was passed, which appears to have been today. Oddly no date in the text that I can find.

I am hoping the review landscape can cast off the garbage heap AI reviews and your neighbor who is willing to lie for $5 back via PayPal for a five star donation.

Fake reviews potentially prosecuted ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars! by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Cabel Sasser (previously) spotted an early Apple employee's ID card on sale on eBay—a fantastic find for anyone interested in computer history. But he noticed something off about it—the crispness of the typewritten details—and then a few other things, too. — Read the rest

The post Forged early Apple employee ID sleuthed—but still sold for a wee fortune on eBay appeared first on Boing Boing.