Can a company’s 5-star rating on Google Maps be trusted if it breaks not only Google’s content policies and guidelines but also the FTC Rules?
Google Maps Content Policy on Prohibited and Restricted Content states, “We do not allow merchants to…selectively solicit positive reviews from customers”. So why does a multi-million-dollar company like KeyMe Locksmiths is allowed to get away with using this deceptive practice?
While Google warns merchants to “take these rules seriously. If a Google Maps user’s on- or off-platform behavior harms our users, community, employees or ecosystem, we may take actions that will range from suspending the account privileges to account termination.”, it has been reluctant to take significant action to enforce its own Guidelines, letting known and repeated offenders maintain presence on Google Maps despite users reporting these “patters on harmful behaviors” through various repotting mechanisms. While Google states that it conducts “own-initiative reviews” it continues to baffle users why Google does not act on reports using the suggested reporting channels.
In addition, Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act, codified as 15 U.S.C. § 45, prohibits “unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce” and “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce”. Consumers who rely on online reviews of companies, products, and services should be getting a true and accurate picture of what other consumers think. Deceptive conduct like Review gating erodes consumer trust. FTC Believed that companies should favor transparency and avoid unethical practices that selectively publish positive reviews and exclude negative ones.