The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a new set of rules covering reviews, andit may just have outlawedreview-bombingin the process.
Asper the FTC chair,the change aims to ban “fake online reviews and testimonials”, with six final rules the Commission hopes will make users able to make a more informed decision based on peer feedback.
Most of thenew FTC rulescover more ‘traditional’ cases of review manipulation, but it is the first ruling that should raise alarm in gaming circles.
Review-bombing may fall under “fake or false consumer reviews”, potentially robbing players of anincreasingly common methodof leverage against studios and publishers.
The Rulings Explained
Review manipulation has been around for as long as review sites have existed. Sometimes, the company owner drops enthusiastic praise for their enterprise, and other times, it is saying how awful a competitor is.The six new FTC rules aim to distill reviews into authentic ones only.
The first and most important ruling for gaming covers"fake or false consumer reviews, consumer testimonials, and celebrity testimonials."
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It outlaws reviews generated by “someone who does not exist, such as AI-generated fake reviews,” but also coverspeople who “did not have actual experience” with the product or, crucially, “misrepresent the experience.”
Calling upon a community to drop negative reviews to protest a new change (as was the casewithHelldivers 2) may fall under this ruling.
The second rule bans"buying positive or negative reviews,“wherein buying means offering (expressly or implicitly) both financial compensation or other incentives “conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews”.
A few developers may need to re-read this one to let it sink in, as the practice of offering new content or perks if the game reaches a certain number of reviews is not unheard of.
“Insider reviews and consumer testimonials"are also on the hook, unless the person posting the review discloses their relationship with the product. This extends to the immediate family of employees. So long, five-star reviews by Jeff from accounting and his wife Linda.
Conglomerates that own both media and game development companies are also under fire.“Company-controlled review websites"cannot claim their reviews and opinions on a product are independent. How much disclosure is required is unclear.
If it was not obvious,“review suppression"via intimidation is now prohibited. This includes legal and physical threats or accusations against someone.
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The gaming industry has been rocked by scandals where journalists, content creators, and players have come under fire for expressing a negative opinion on certain titles, so this change is a welcome protection.
Last but not least,“misuse of fake social media indicators"is now prohibited, including both buying and selling followers and engagement. Considering how endemic bots and bought followers are on certain platforms like Twitter/X, it is unclear how the FTC aims to curb this, but
If enforced to the letter,this FTC ruling relegates review bombing to the past. During its life,the practice has been controversial.
Some defend it asthe only leverage the average player hasagainst a stubborn game dev or publisher, while others say it is deceiving to prospective players looking for earnest reviews, and prone to rage-baiting.
Whichever way it goes, it looks likeuser reviews will become more human, and that can only be a good thing.
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