Online Deception Exposed: Google's Big Crackdown on Fake Reviews
Let’s face it. This economy is beyond challenging. People are pinching their pennies harder than ever to make ends meet. Most consumers have become more discerning about handing over their hard-earned cash for products and services.
According to our friends at Statista, nearly 95% of shoppers rely on online reviews before making a purchase. Of those, more than half said they would only consider using a business if it had a minimum rating of 4 stars from at least seven different reviewers.
That’s a lot of pressure for businesses to perform well. It’s why some of them turn to the unethical practice of paying for fake positive reviews. If they want to be even more underhanded, they may pay people to make negative fake reviews about their competitors.
Shocking, innit?
Google is aware of the practice and has decided it’s long overdue for cracking down on it. Any business that has a Google Business Profile – that’s over 18 million in the U.S. alone – recently received a notice warning about what can happen if Google catches them in this deceptive act.
It’s advisable not to disregard it. Google is serious and will go the extra mile to protect its backside.
Why is Google cracking down on the fakery now?
You’re probably wondering why Google has suddenly got its knickers in a twist over this practice. It’s certainly not a new thing. Businesses have paid for – or otherwise incentivized patrons to give positive reviews – for as long as online reviews have existed. When I first started my own writing consulting service in 2005, I used to receive numerous requests to do this kind of “work.” I always turn them down because I’m not a fan of cheating the system.
However, what’s changed is the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s new rule about how it plans to deal with offenders. Enacted in August, the regulation allows the commission to seek civil penalties against businesses, social media influencers, and others who rely on unethical strategies to artificially boost online popularity and engagement.
Google takes the FTC's new rule about fake engagement and other nefarious tactics to make your brand appear more popular than it is seriously. That’s because it can be held accountable right along with the businesses engaged in the bad behavior.
What does the FTC’s new rule prohibit?
One of the most direct violations addressed in the FTC’s ruling is soliciting fake reviews. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve done it yourself or paid a third party to generate the reviews without experiencing your product or service.
It’s not just about getting positive reviews for your brand. One of the least talked about (and most underhanded) fake review practices involves paying people to leave bad reviews for your competitors to drive consumers away from them and to your business instead.
Google notified its Google Business Profile account holders that it will enforce the FTC’s new ruling. Some business owners have already reported having reviews removed from their profiles, with some claiming the reviews were from real customers. Google has an appeals process if you suspect it removed legitimate reviews from your profile.
Here’s what Google is prohibiting:
Buying reviews from “review farms” or third-party services that offer bulk positive reviews.
Creating multiple accounts to post self-reviews.
Asking friends or family to post reviews without disclosing their relationship.
Hiring freelancers specifically to post positive reviews without experiencing the product or service.
No matter how sneaky you think you are, I assure you that Google’s AI detection systems are getting better at identifying patterns indicative of fake reviews, including:
Multiple reviews posted from the same IP address.
Reviews with similar phrasing or writing styles.
Sudden spikes in review volume deviating from established patterns.
Reviews from accounts with minimal history or suspicious activity patterns.
Penalties for soliciting fake reviews now include not only removal of the suspicious reviews but also potential account suspension and public flagging of the business profile with consumer warnings about deceptive practices. The only thing worse than not having enough positive reviews is getting tagged with one of those notices that you were naughty. It’s the quickest way to destroy trust in your brand.
Fake reviews aren’t the only unethical practice outlined in the FTC’s new ruling. Let’s look at the others so you can make sure you’re not risking a huge fine.
Review gating and incentivized reviews
Unethical review practices extend beyond solicitating fake supportive comments. The practice of review gating – a screening process that selectively encourages satisfied customers to post public reviews while diverting dissatisfied customers to private feedback channels – creates a skewed representation of customer experiences.
Common review gating tactics include:
Using survey questions like "Were you satisfied with your experience?" and only directing those who answer "yes" to public review platforms.
Implementing two-path review funnels where positive responses get public review requests while negative ones receive private feedback forms.
Deploying review management software that filters potential reviewers based on preliminary satisfaction scores.
Google's stance is clear: businesses must request reviews equally from all customers without pre-screening or filtering based on predicted sentiment. This aligns with the FTC's position that selective solicitation creates a misleading impression of public consensus.
The same is true for what Google labels “incentivized reviews.” Offering direct payment or other rewards for positive reviews falls into this category. Businesses that provide any form of compensation without clear disclosure in the review itself violate the rule.
Engagement pods
A more sophisticated violation addressed in Google's notifications involves the use of engagement pods, which previously existed in regulatory gray areas but are now explicitly prohibited.
Engagement pods are organized groups of individuals or businesses who agree to systematically engage with each other's content, reviews, or listings to artificially boost engagement metrics and visibility. Some pods are fully AI automated, meaning participants allow AI bots to use their social media accounts and comment on their behalf.
Google’s detection systems target pod-like behavior patterns. The notification it sent to Google Business Profile holders made it clear that participation in engagement pods is treated like review manipulation, violating the terms of service (TOS).
How does Google enforce the new FTC guidelines?
The FTC’s landmark ruling on fake reviews and deceptive testimonials represents one of the most significant regulatory developments in digital marketing oversight in recent years. Google is serious about following the rules because it doesn’t want to end up penalized right along with the bad apples cheating the system using its business profiles feature.
Failing to follow the rules can hit you hard in the wallet. First-time violators can find themselves issued a civil penalty of up to $50,876 per violation. Each deceptive review counts as a separate violation, which can add up in a hurry. Systemic violators get hit even harder because the FTC calculates financial penalties based on the number of consumers exposed to deceptive reviews.
Google removes reviews it suspects are fake. If the infractions are serious enough, they can even suspend your Google Business Profile and suppress any of your other digital assets – website, social media – in its search algorithm. If people can’t find you online, they can’t do business with you. Remember that.
Ignoring the FTC
Some of you are probably thinking, “What happens if I just ignore a notice from the FTC about this? They can’t really force me to pay a fine, can they?”
The answer to that question is yes, they can. The FTC files formal charges with the federal court system. It is the federal courts that enforce the penalties. It’s a true FAFO moment. Ignoring a federal court order can land you in jail, my friends. Don’t learn that lesson the hard way.
How do these new rules impact businesses?
The convergence of Google's stricter enforcement policies and the FTC's new regulations on reviews creates significant operational challenges for businesses that have historically relied on customer feedback as a cornerstone of their digital presence.
To keep from running afoul of these new rules, legitimate businesses must adapt their review collection practices, implement robust compliance strategies, and leverage appropriate tools to maintain a strong online presence while being mindful of evolving standards. Here’s what I recommend.
Policy documentation and staff training
Establishing formal review policies has moved from best practice to necessity. Start with documented review solicitation procedures that explicitly address prohibited practices. Then, provide regular staff training sessions for all customer-facing staff on how to comply with the new rules.
Regularly auditing your solicitation practices against your documented policies ensures compliance and prevents the possibility of a hefty financial penalty. Extend those rules to any third-party marketing providers who may solicit reviews on your behalf. If they violate the FTC guidelines, you’ll be in hot water right along with them since they represent your business.
Document everything to provide compliance. If the FTC comes for you, it’s important to have a paper trail to show you follow the rules.
Systemic review request standardization
One of the most challenging aspects for businesses is abandoning the instinct to time review requests strategically. The compliance requirement is simple but counterintuitive: every customer gets the same review opportunity at the same point in their journey.
For me, I ask satisfied customers to provide an honest review after our business is completed. I include my request with their final invoice for services. Notice I don’t ask for a positive review. I ask for authentic feedback. I also never pressure my customers for a review. The choice is theirs.
Competitive analysis and reporting
Pay attention to your competitors. If you suspect they’re engaging in unethical review practices, document the suspected non-compliance and report it directly to the FTC or to Google if the fake reviews appear on a Google Business Profile.
There's a legitimate first-mover disadvantage to compliance. Documenting competitors who maintain prohibited practices creates defensive documentation and potential strategic advantages as enforcement increases.
Quality improvement integration
The most forward-thinking organizations are using these regulatory changes as an opportunity to strengthen their fundamental customer experience. You can use them to develop systemic methods for incorporating review feedback into your operational improvements, implementing service quality checks before a transaction is complete, and creating robust systems for addressing customer concerns before they turn into negative reviews.
The ultimate compliance strategy is delivering service quality that naturally generates positive feedback, regardless of solicitation methods.
Earn positive customer reviews the right way
It's time to start doing things the right way, my friends. The most effective strategy is to deliver outstanding customer experiences at every touchpoint in their journey. When customers are genuinely impressed, they’re naturally motivated to share positive feedback online and provide word-of-mouth recommendations to others who need your products and services.
While you can’t selectively target satisfied customers, you can remove friction from the review process for all customers by:
Providing clear instructions on how to leave reviews.
Sending follow-up emails with direct links to your review profiles.
Simplifying the process with minimal clicks.
Above all else, be patient. Give your customers enough time to fully experience your product or service before expecting a review.
Still need some help working out the kinks? Request a consultation and we can discuss your options.