The authorities will develop a framework to maintain a verify on pretend opinions on e-commerce web sites, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution stated Saturday.
In a press release, the ministry stated, “The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), after studying the present mechanism being followed by e-commerce entities in India and best practices available globally, will develop these frameworks.”
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The move got here a day after client affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh held a gathering with numerous stakeholders on the difficulty of faux opinions on e-commerce platforms on Friday. During the assembly, points associated to “paid reviews, unverifiable reviews and absence of disclosure in case of incentivised reviews which make it challenging for consumers to recognise genuine reviews” have been mentioned.
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PremiumThe assertion stated, “DoCA in association with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) along with various stakeholders like e-commerce entities, consumer forums, law universities, lawyers, FICCI, CII, consumer rights activists and others in a meeting discussed the magnitude and roadmap ahead for fake reviews on websites.”
“Since e-commerce involves a virtual shopping experience without any opportunity to physically view or examine the product, consumers heavily rely on reviews posted on e-commerce platforms to see the opinion and experience of users who have already purchased the goods or service,” it stated.
As per the assertion, Singh stated that traceability, by making certain the authenticity of the reviewer, and the related legal responsibility of the platform are the 2 key points right here. Also e-commerce gamers should disclose as to how they select the “most relevant reviews” for show in a good and clear method,” he stated.
The assertion additional stated, “All stakeholders agreed that the issue deserves to be monitored closely and appropriate framework governing fake reviews may be developed to address the issue for protection of consumer interest.”
“Stakeholders from e-commerce companies claimed that they have frameworks in place by which they monitor fake reviews and would be pleased to take part in developing a legal framework on the issue,” it stated. The assembly was attended by further secretary Nidhi Khare, joint secretary Anupam Mishra and different officers.
During the assembly, ASCI CEO Manisha Kapoor highlighted the classes of faux and deceptive opinions and their affect on client curiosity.