Amazon Touts Global Litigation Campaign Against Fake Reviews

Amazon filed its first criminal complaint in Italy, its first civil suit in Spain, plus 10 other legal actions against bad actors in the U.S. to curb the spread of fake reviews, the company said Thursday. The lawsuits collectively target more than 11,000 websites and social media groups “that attempt to orchestrate fake reviews on Amazon and other stores in exchange for money or free products,” it said. The criminal complaint in Italy targets a “high-profile broker” selling fake reviews who claims to have built a network of individuals willing to buy products on Amazon and post five-star reviews in exchange for full refunds, said the company. Amazon spoke the same day the FTC announced it will explore a rulemaking to combat fake reviews and will seek comments “on the harms and pervasiveness of fake and paid reviews, and other deceptive endorsement tactics.”