E-commerce websites will now write reviews (reviews) by paying money for a product or service for more sales, so it has to be told that these are 'paid reviews'. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs is going to implement a new framework for this from 25 November. Under the new guidelines, websites that continue to make errors in review will be deemed to be engaging in unfair business practices. The Consumer Commission can take punitive action against them. At the same time, those reviews which have been written or bought by third parties have been completely banned. 

The government is considering this as the first step towards curbing fake reviews. The ministry prepared it along with the Bureau of Indian Standards. The ministry believes that some companies may be harmed by the new framework, but consumers will be benefited. According to Ministry Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, online reviews are very important for online shopping and business. According to Singh, India is the first country to do this, many other developed countries are grappling with this problem and are in the process of formulating frameworks.

This framework will be applicable to e-commerce companies, social media companies and all platforms that are publishing reviews in some form or the other. 

This includes suppliers of any services or products, third parties contracted with them, or independent third parties.

While initial compliance to the framework will be voluntary, it may be made mandatory in due course. 

n E-commerce companies are expected to follow the standards and such companies will get the new standard IS-19000: 2022 certificate from BIS in the next 15 days.

A sharp look... When, who got the review done, it will also have to be told. According to the ministry, many times e-commerce companies themselves get their services or products reviewed on their website or app. Rewards are given for this. Now while publishing it, the company will have to tell when, by whom and why this review was done. 

Fake review has been considered as big business by the ministry. Such companies are flourishing in Maldives, Turkey, which write reviews by taking money. Reviews are being done without verifying the authors.

Under the instructions issued on fake reviews, now all types of rating reviews will have to be shown on the first page, not just 5 stars. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, e-commerce has grown rapidly in the country, but products are not available to touch, test and buy. 

People buy TVs, fridges, washing machines, etc. based on reviews posted by other customers on companies, e-commerce websites and social media platforms. Sometimes reviews are fake. Now to stop them, a framework has been created with the help of e-commerce companies themselves, people associated with the industry, consumer organizations and legal experts. According to the ministry, India is the first country to do so.

Explain how you gave the star to the product or service.

If competitive companies get negative reviews done, then they will also have to be stopped by making a comprehensive system.

In the publication, the basic sense of the review should be visible in the beginning itself, lest there should be positive talk in the first sentence and negative information should be hidden in view-more by putting three dots next.

Companies will have to improve the language of reviews, bad words will not do. Automated and manual moderation is also necessary.

Give review in original language along with translation so that there is no doubt of change in it.

The identity of the reviewer should not be revealed without permission. Don't harm the company on negative reviews.