Italy seeks to protect hotels from fake and paid reviews
Under a proposed law, online reviewers would be required to show identification and proof of their visit to the place being reviewed
The Italian government is taking steps to crack down on fake and paid online reviews to protect its hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions from misleading or harmful content. Although fake reviews are already prohibited in Italy, enforcing these rules remains a significant challenge.
Key points
- Under the proposed legislation, reviews must be posted within 15 days of the visit and should be relevant and detailed. Businesses can request that false reviews be removed;
- Reviews that are more than two years old and deemed irrelevant can also be removed at the business's request. In addition, paid or incentivized reviews will be strictly prohibited;
- The bill does not specify who will determine whether a review is fake. However, the Italian Antitrust Authority will be tasked with monitoring reviews and imposing fines if necessary.
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