Centre to develop framework to track fake reviews on e-commerce websites
New Delhi, May 28: The Centre will develop a framework to keep a check on fake reviews on e-commerce websites, informed the Ministry of Consumer Affairs on Saturday.
The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) will develop these frameworks after evaluating the current mechanism being followed by the e-commerce entities in India and the best practices available globally.
In a meeting, the DoCA discussed the magnitude and roadmap ahead for fake reviews on websites with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) along with various stakeholders like commerce entities, consumer forums, law universities, lawyers, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), consumer rights activists and others.
Consumers heavily rely on reviews posted on e-commerce platforms to see the opinion and experiences of users who have already purchased the good or service, according to the DoCA, because e-commerce involves a virtual shopping experience with no option to physically touch or check the product.
"Traceability by ensuring the authenticity of the reviewer and the associated liability of the platform are the two key issues here. Also, e-commerce players must disclose how they choose the most relevant reviews for display in a fair and transparent manner," DoCA Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh stated.
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All stakeholders agreed that the issue should be closely monitored, and a suitable framework for fake reviews may also be devised to handle the issue for the protection of consumer interest.
E-commerce stakeholders stated that they have frameworks in place to monitor fake reviews and would be pleased to participate in drafting a legal framework on the issue, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The Advertising Standards Council of India emphasised the categories of fake and misleading reviews, as well as their impact on consumer interest.
The ministry further stated that discussions also occurred on paid reviews, unverifiable reviews and absence of disclosure in case of incentivised reviews which make it challenging for consumers to recognise genuine reviews.
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-PTC News
