Fake reviews come at you from both sides. Someone posts a fake one-star on your profile, or the business down the road suddenly has forty glowing reviews in a week. Here's how to deal with both, using Google's rules and Australian law.
What counts as a fake Google review?
Google's content policy covers this under fake engagement and rating manipulation, and says fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed
. In plain English, the policy rules out:
- Reviews not based on a real experience with the business.
- Paid reviews, whether paid in cash or in kind.
- One person posting from several accounts, or someone posting on their behalf.
- Posting on a competitor's listing to damage its reputation.
- Incentivised reviews: reviews posted because the business offered payment, discounts or free goods or services.
- Conflicts of interest: reviews from current or former staff, contractors, family or competitors.
Its rating manipulation rules also cover unusual volumes or patterns of reviews meant to manipulate a rating. So a sudden flood from the owner's cousins counts, even if every cousin genuinely loves the business.
Are fake reviews illegal in Australia?
Yes. The ACCC puts it plainly: It's against the law for a business to create fake or misleading reviews or to arrange for others to do so.
Hiding the bad ones can be a problem too. The ACCC says a business may mislead consumers if it suppresses or edits negative reviews.
The ACCC has taken businesses to court over it. Two cases it lists on its own website:
- Service Seeking let businesses on its platform draft their own reviews, which were published automatically if the customer didn't respond within three days. The Federal Court ordered it to pay $600,000 in penalties, according to the ACCC's media release.
- HealthEngine admitted it did not publish a large volume of negative reviews and edited others to remove negative aspects. The Federal Court ordered it to pay $2.9 million in penalties, including for publishing misleading patient reviews and other conduct.
Reviews on your own website count too
This isn't only about Google. The ACCC's first case on its list is Citymove, a removalist, back in 2011. It admitted saying testimonials on its website were genuine when they were not, and paid a $6600 penalty under an infringement notice.
The ACCC also says businesses that don't remove or correct reviews they know, or should be aware, are fake may breach the law. But it says a business should only remove or edit a review once it has an adequate basis to think it's fake or misleading. Deleting genuine bad reviews from your own site is its own problem.
Not legal advice, just a strong hint. If you're unsure whether something crosses the line, ask a lawyer before you do it, not after.
How to spot fake Google reviews
There's no single giveaway, but the ACCC lists signs that can indicate a review is fake. Look for:
- A spike in highly positive or negative reviews over a short period.
- Similar reviewer names across several reviews.
- Generic reviews with no specific detail about the business or what was bought.
- Language that's similar to other reviews of the same business.
The ACCC also mentions many reviews written from the same email or IP address. You can't see that from the outside, but Google can, which is one reason reporting works better than guessing.
On your own profile, the simplest check is your records. If you can't find any sign of the reviewer as a customer, and the review doesn't describe anything that happened, that's worth reporting.
How to report a fake review on your own profile
You can't delete it yourself, but you can report it from your Business Profile, and Google removes it if it breaks the policy. Choose the reason that actually fits, and keep a note of what you reported and when.
We've covered the full steps, the Reviews Management Tool and the one-time appeal in how to remove Google reviews. No need to repeat them here.
The ACCC also says a business can respond to a false review to correct the public record. Keep it calm and factual.
For example: We can't find any record of this visit. If we've missed something, please call us so we can look into it.
(An example only. Write your own.)
How to report fake reviews on someone else's listing
If a competitor's profile is full of reviews that look fake, anyone can report a review on Google Maps. On a computer, Google's steps are:
- Open Google Maps and search for the business.
- Select the business, then Reviews.
- Scroll to the review you want to report.
- Open the three-dot menu and select Report Review.
- Fill out the form and submit it.
In the Google Maps app it's similar: find the business, go to its reviews, tap the review, then the three-dot menu and Report Review.
You can also tell the ACCC. Its consumer page says Anyone can make a report to the ACCC about a false or misleading review.
The ACCC uses those reports for its compliance and enforcement work, but it doesn't resolve individual disputes.
Report what you can reasonably see, then get back to running your business. Spending your week as the local review police doesn't win you any customers.
Why buying fake reviews backfires
Every so often an offer lands: fifty five-star reviews, cheap, delivered in days. Here's what can happen next, according to Google.
Google removes them
Fake and incentivised reviews are removed under Google's policy. So you've paid for something with a short shelf life.
Your whole profile can be restricted
Google's page on Business Profile restrictions says businesses that break the fake engagement policy may face restrictions on top of having the reviews removed. Its examples:
- The profile can't receive new reviews or ratings for a set period of time.
- Existing reviews or ratings are unpublished for a set period of time.
- The profile displays a warning telling people that fake reviews were removed.
That last one is a public notice on your own listing. It's hard to think of worse advertising.
And the law still applies
The ACCC rule doesn't care who wrote the review. Arranging for others to write fake reviews is covered too, so outsourcing it doesn't outsource the risk.
What to do instead
Real reviews from real customers, asked for properly. It's slower than buying them, and it's the only version that lasts.
Our guide to getting more Google reviews covers how to ask, and what Google won't let you do. Our reputation management service does it for you: every customer gets asked after every job, every review gets a reply, and we report the reviews that break Google's rules.
No fake reviews. Not from customers who don't exist, not from staff, not from your mum.
FAQ
Can I report a fake review on a competitor's Google listing?
Yes. Open the business on Google Maps, go to its reviews, open the three-dot menu on the review and select Report Review. You can also report false or misleading reviews to the ACCC.
Is it illegal to buy Google reviews in Australia?
The ACCC says it's against the law for a business to create fake or misleading reviews or to arrange for others to do so. Google also removes fake reviews and can restrict the profile.
Can my staff or family leave reviews for my business?
No. Google's policy doesn't allow reviews based on a conflict of interest, which includes current or former employees and family relationships.
What happens if Google catches fake reviews on my profile?
Google removes them, and its help page says it may also stop the profile receiving new reviews for a set period, unpublish existing reviews for a set period, or show a warning that fake reviews were removed. Google says it emails owners before applying a restriction, and businesses can appeal.
Sources
- Google: Maps user-generated content policy, prohibited and restricted content
- Google Business Profile Help: Business Profile restrictions for policy violations
- Google Maps Help: Report or fix content
- ACCC: Online reviews for products and services (business)
- ACCC: Online reviews for products and services (consumers)
- ACCC: Service Seeking to pay penalty for misleading online customer reviews