Monitoring the reviews

Most online retails spends these days are preceded by a thorough scan of the review page accompanying the product descriptions on e-tailer portals. That’s why the Centre is introducing a standard for publishing product reviews on e-commerce platforms, starting this week. During the initial phase, the standard will be voluntary, but stakeholders believe it could be made mandatory after the government observes the degree to which the online platforms are complying with the standard. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) prepared the framework for this review standard. The announcement was made on Monday by the Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh, who highlighted that the framework is aimed at safeguarding consumer interests from fake or deceptive product reviews on e-commerce platforms.

Every online platform that publishes product reviews will fall under the ambit of this standard named the Indian Standard (IS) 19000:2022 Online Consumer Reviews Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication. Once made mandatory, disregarding the standard can invite penalties for violation of consumer rights, and for unfair trade practices, for which customers can either approach the National Consumer Helpline, or the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

The level of accountability being brought to the posting of product reviews is quite admirable as the review author now has to provide his or her contact details, which will be in the custody of the e-tailer portal, whose responsibility is to safeguard such details. This is in line with the measures opted by some social media sites which use such mechanisms for verification of users, not to mention traceability and genuineness of the author. It may be recalled that this year, the government had cast its net far and wide, more specifically, to cover the influencer economy which is being seen as the de-facto standard for product marketing by companies with deep pockets.

Many a time, influencers have opted to showcase products they might not touch with a bargepole, but would force down the throats of unwitting customers who might not know better. A slew of new legislations not only brings influencers under the tax bracket, but also holds them accountable for the advertisements and promotions that they lend their persona to. As per the new law which will be notified soon, social media influencers can be penalised for sharing misleading endorsements, posting fake reviews of products, in an attempt to influence their followers to buy or spend.

The guidelines under the Consumer Protection Act, also mandate that influencers must disclose if they have any vested interests (monetary, or otherwise) in the products that they promote. Needless to say, those peddling any such wares will now have to be careful about what they associate with, as penalties for violations can be anywhere upwards of Rs 10 lakh and can go up to Rs 50 lakh.

Having said that, these standards of reviewing products are essentially limited to the internet savvy population of India, which has the wherewithal to spend hours reading up on product specs and comparative analyses. For lower or middle income citizens, most purchases are spurred by necessity. What will be required in the long term is a conscientious effort by manufacturers to comply with basic safety and quality norms, the trickle down effect of which can be seen in the corresponding supply and distribution chains, both online and offline.