India proposes guidelines to combat fake online reviews and ratings

FILE PHOTO: Commuters watch videos on their mobile phones as they travel in a suburban train in Mumbai, India, April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/File Photo

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) -India launched a crackdown on Monday against fake consumer reviews and unverified ratings in a bid to make the online world and e-commerce more authentic and less misleading for users.

The government has drafted guidelines for companies from Alphabet Inc's Google, Meta Platform's Facebook and Instagram, and Amazon.com Inc to travel sites and food delivery apps that depend on reviews to validate products and services. Positive reviews help generate sales and interest from potential buyers.