Fake Reviews On E-Commerce Platforms: Govt To Meet All Stakeholders

Pic courtesy Conatus Counsel

New Delhi: As the percentage of Indians who buy stuff online climbs steadily, the number of complaints about the products is also going up.

Most online buyers, especially the younger generation, depend on the reviews available on E-commerce platforms before making their choice. But several of these reviews are supposedly fake and manufactured.

The Central government has taken note of this phenomenon, which mislead consumers into buying online services or products.

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will be holding a virtual meeting on May 27 along with other stakeholders to gauge the magnitude of such fake reviews on E-Commerce platforms and prepare a roadmap of what can be done to prevent such anomaly.

DoCA secretary Rohit Kumar Singh has written to all stakeholders — E-Commerce entities like Flipkart, Amazon, Tata Sons, Reliance Retail and others, Consumer Forums, Law Universities, Lawyers, FICCI, CII, Consumer Rights Activists etc. — to participate in the meeting.

“Since the issue impacts people shopping online on a daily basis and has a significant impact on their rights as a consumer, it is important that it is examined with greater scrutiny and detail,” Singh’s letter states.