Italy introduces new law to curb fake hospitality reviews
A law has been established in Italy aimed at tackling the problem of fake reviews about restaurants and hotels. The bill provides for the introduction of regulations governing how opinions are posted online, which is intended to help ensure their credibility.
The Italian government has taken an initiative aimed at combating fake reviews on the internet, which relate to restaurants and hotels. The bill, prepared by the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, was presented at the session of Giorgia Meloni's government.
The new regulations will introduce a code of conduct that requires consumers to disclose their identity and confirm that they were customers of the reviewed place. Reviews must be posted within 15 days of using the service and contain detailed information.
The bill, known as Adolfo Urso's project, mandates that opinions on lodging places should be more transparent, requiring consumers to confirm their identity before posting a review. The project was supported by Codacons, which emphasized the influence of reviews on consumer decisions.
Venue owners will have the right to respond to reviews, and in some cases, they may request their removal if they are older than two years or unauthentic. The trade of reviews in exchange for discounts or other benefits will be prohibited. The activities of platforms publishing reviews will be supervised by the Italian media regulatory authority.
Italy fights against fake reviews
Tourists frequently encounter a discrepancy between hotel photos and reality. An affair involving a hotel in Apulia proves that the consumer's right to consistency between the offer and reality is indispensable. A court in Milan ruled that a customer is entitled to a refund for their booking because their expectations regarding the pool and gym were not met.
Italy's largest consumer rights organisation, Codacons, expressed satisfaction with the work on the bill. It was pointed out that reviews significantly influence consumer decisions, as evidenced by research showing that 77 percent of citizens read reviews before making a purchase or reservation.
Codacons emphasises the need to eliminate fake reviews and to penalise entities that buy positive opinions. The organisation also supports the requirement for review authors to disclose their identity.
