Fake reviews: Understanding Prevalence and Consumer Harm

Fake reviews are reviews that do not reflect an actual consumer's genuine experience of a good or service. In 2021, BEIS launched the Reforming Consumer and Competition Policy (RCCP) consultation, which sought views on ways for government to address the issue of fake online reviews and proposed adding practices related to this to the list of automatically unfair commercial practices in Schedule 1 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPUTRs) 2008. The department also sought views on ways to address the issue of commissioning and/or incentivising a person to write or submit a fake review. The department published its response to the consultation in April 2022, noting that the majority of respondents agreed that fake reviews were a concern and not helpful to consumers. Government remains committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence where their decisions are based on reviews and will consult in due course on adding fake reviews to the list of banned practices in the CPUTRs. This will give greater clarity to businesses and, where fake reviews are posted, allow enforcers to take effective action quickly. Government is also keen to work with businesses and consumer groups to ensure any further requirements in legislation are clear and proportionate, supporting businesses in their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside this engagement, BEIS is looking for a partner to conduct research into the issue of online fake reviews. The results of this analysis will be used to inform policy development and ensure policy decisions are evidence based and informed by the testing of potential solutions. The supplier will be responsible for ensuring the project fulfils the research aims and objectives outlined by BEIS. The aim of this work is to understand: i. The prevalence of online fake reviews for a pre-determined basket of goods on the most popular third-party UK e-commerce websites ii. How online fake reviews influence consumer choice when making online purchases iii. The consumer detriment that occurs as a result of fake reviews and how this varies by demographic groups iv. The effectiveness of potential non-regulatory interventions in nullifying the impact of fake reviews on consumer decisions The department sets out a proposed research approach in the attached supporting document, which the department advises all suppliers to read through ahead of the Supplier Day. This will help to inform any discussions during the Supplier Day and provide greater insight into the research project. When released, the Invitation to Tender (ITT) will provide more details about the expected responsibilities of the supplier in delivering the required research outputs.

Additional information: In order to provide prospective suppliers with the opportunity to gain more detail on the project and identify potential partners, BEIS are holding a Supplier Day via MS Teams on 26th May 2022 from 9:30am till 11:30am. Interested organisations please contact Rory Thompson ([email protected]) to reserve your place.