Framework on anvil to curb pretend critiques on e-commerce websites

To shield client curiosity, the Centre will develop a framework to maintain a test on pretend critiques on e-commerce web sites like Amazon and Flipkart.

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) will put together the framework after learning the present mechanism being adopted by different e-commerce corporations and “best practices available globally”, the Consumer Affairs Ministry mentioned in an announcement on Saturday.

The resolution comes after the ministry and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) held a digital assembly on Friday with e-commerce corporations, together with different stakeholders, to debate the magnitude and roadmap forward for pretend critiques on such web sites.

Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, and Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary, within the DoCA additionally attended the assembly.

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According to an official assertion, the problems mentioned throughout Friday’s assembly included how paid critiques, unverifiable critiques and absence of disclosure in case of incentivised critiques make it difficult for shoppers to recognise real critiques.

Shopping on e-commerce websites doesn’t enable customers a chance to bodily look at a product which implies that shoppers rely closely on product critiques earlier than making a purchase order resolution.

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“Traceability by ensuring the authenticity of the reviewer and the associated liability of the platform are the two key issues here. Also e-comm players must disclose as to how they choose the ‘most relevant reviews’ for display in a fair and transparent manner,” Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, DoCA, mentioned.

E-commerce entities taking part within the digital assembly “agreed that the issue deserves to be monitored closely” and in addition claimed that they’ve frameworks in place by which they monitor pretend critiques on their websites, the Ministry mentioned.

The corporations additionally confirmed an curiosity in taking part with the federal government to provide you with the framework, it added.