However, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said fake reviews of products and services on e-commerce platforms are still lurking.
 "Government plans to require counterfeit screening rules for e-commerce companies")
press trust of india New Delhi
The government is considering requiring e-commerce companies to comply with consumer review quality standards after a voluntary drive failed to effectively curb fake reviews, a senior government official said on Monday. .
A year ago, the government issued new quality standards for e-tailers, banning the publication of paid reviews and requiring disclosure of such promotional content.
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However, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said fake reviews of products and services on e-commerce platforms still exist.
“More than a year has passed since the voluntary standards regarding ‘online reviews’ were notified. Some organizations claim to comply with them. However, fake reviews are still being published. ,'' Khare told PTI.
“To protect the interests of consumers, we want to make these standards mandatory,” he said, adding that the ministry will meet with e-commerce companies and consumers on May 15 to discuss the proposed move. He added that he is planning a meeting with public and private organizations.
The ministry's Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which developed and published new standards for 'online consumer reviews' in November 2022, said that 'purchasing and/or writing by individuals employed for the purpose by the supplier or any relevant third party The publication of reviews that read “I did” was prohibited. .
Without the opportunity to physically inspect products, consumers rely heavily on online reviews when making purchases. Misleading reviews and ratings can lead to purchasing products and services based on incorrect information.
The proposed move comes in the backdrop of rapid growth in India's online retail sector. According to a report by Deloitte Touche Toumas India, this sector is expected to surge from USD 70 billion in 2022 to USD 325 billion by 2030.
