Italy to ban fake and paid reviews after tourists duped online by bogus claims

Italy is set to clamp down on fraudulent online reviews misleading visitors with a new bill targeting the authenticity of feedback for hotels, restaurants and tourist spots. The government has drafted legislation that, if passed by parliament, will put more stringent checks in place.

Reviewers would have to provide valid ID and evidence of their visit to leave a review. Moreover, only opinions left within two weeks of a visit would count, and they could be deleted if found false for up to two years afterwards.

Issues of enforcement and who determines the veracity of reviews remain unclear, but paid or incentivised reviews are outright banned under the proposed law. "Today marks an important step for the protection of our businesses," Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche told RTE.

While Italy already outlaws fake reviews, the new bill aims to ease enforcement and issue fines through its competition authority. The proposed legislation received a mixed response, with industry groups showing support but concerns over personal privacy and the potential decline in online reviews for hospitality and tourism being raised.

Michele Carrus, chair of consumer group Federconsumatori, remarked: "Fake reviews are a problem for fair competition between companies because they can have a big impact on sales, and are also a problem for consumers who can be misled.

"The problem needed to be addressed. It's difficult to do it the right way, but I'm confident we can achieve that during the parliamentary debate," reports the Mirror.

The Guardian noted in 2023 the long-standing issue of bogus online critiques, which has been exacerbated by artificial intelligence advancement.

In the last few years, this has propelled an increase in fraudulent