In an effort to combat misleading online content, Italy’s government introduced a draft law on Tuesday aimed at regulating reviews of hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites.
The legislation seeks to eliminate fake or paid reviews, ensuring that potential visitors can rely on authentic feedback when making decisions.
A similar scenario occurred in Nigeria, following the arrest of four Chinese nationals and 101 Nigerians in a business apartment in the Gudu area of Abuja over suspected internet fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Accoding to reuters.com, the propsed law in Italy, which needs parliamentary approval to come into force, introduces a number of hurdles for would-be reviewers, including having to provide verifiable ID as well as proof that they visited the place they want to pass judgement on.
Italy’s government on Tuesday unveiled a draft law to regulate online reviews of hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, in a bid to stop fake or paid reviewers.
The law, which needs parliamentary approval to come into force, introduces a number of hurdles for would-be reviewers, including having to provide verifiable ID as well as proof that they visited the place they want to pass judgement on.
“Today marks an important step for the protection of our businesses,” said Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche.
Fake reviews are already illegal, but policing violations is difficult. The bill suggests giving the task of checking on reviews and handing out eventual fines to Italy’s antitrust watchdog.
The draft regulations were welcomed by some industry lobbies, although there were concerns over privacy and fears that the ban on anonymous reviews might drastically reduce the number of online comments about hotels and restaurants.
“Fake reviews are a problem for fair competition between companies because they can have a big impact on sales, and are also a problem for consumers who can be misled,” Michele Carrus, chairman of consumer association Federconsumatori, told Reuters.
“The problem needed to be addressed. It’s difficult to do it the right way, but I’m confident we can achieve that during the parliamentary debate,” he added.
Similarly, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, EFCC announced the arrests on Thursday, 9 January 2025, via a tweet on its X handle on Friday.
“The suspects, comprising 67 males (including four Chinese nationals) and 38 females, were allegedly involved in a hotel review job scam targeting victims and hotels in Europe and other parts of the world.
“The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigations,” the tweet partly read.
In its ongoing efforts to rid the nation of internet fraud and other corrupt practices, the EFCC has been making significant strides in recent months.
In October 2024, 10 individuals were convicted and sentenced to various jail terms and fines for internet-related offences, following a crackdown by EFCC operatives.
The suspects had pleaded guilty to charges involving internet fraud, impersonation, and employment fraud.
In December 2024, the EFCC executed its largest single-day crackdown on cryptocurrency and romance scam syndicates, apprehending 792 suspects in Lagos State. According to a report by The Cable, the operation resulted in the arrest of 158 foreigners and 634 others in a single raid on a Lagos property.
