What does the Omnibus Directive say about fake reviews?

The Omnibus Directive tackles reviews in two ways: a transparency duty and an outright ban on fakery.

The transparency duty

If your shop displays consumer reviews, you must state whether and how you ensure that the published reviews come from consumers who actually bought or used the product. If you only publish reviews from verified purchasers, say so clearly. If you do not verify, you must not create the impression that the reviews are verified.

The fake-review ban

Certain practices are added to the blacklist of unfair commercial practices, meaning they are prohibited in all circumstances with no case-by-case assessment. These include submitting or commissioning fake reviews or endorsements, claiming reviews are from real users when steps to verify were not taken, and manipulating reviews — for example suppressing genuine negative ones — to promote a product.

What to do in your shop

• Add a short statement near your reviews explaining how you verify authenticity.
• Prefer a review module that can restrict submissions to verified buyers.
• Never buy, write or commission reviews, and never hide genuine negative feedback.

See the review section of the complete Omnibus guide for PrestaShop module notes.

Educational only, not legal advice. Verify against the official text.