Reviews are your most valuable reputation asset — and the easiest one to lose if your collection tactics break the rules. The FTC now treats fake, gated, and incentivized reviews as deceptive practices with real penalties, and Google and Yelp will pull listings that game the system. These are the legal considerations behind our full reputation management service, broken into one-time fixes you can knock out today.
How You Ask & Collect
Stop Gating Reviews by Star Rating
What to doIf you funnel happy customers to Google but route unhappy ones to a private form, shut that path off today — ask everyone the same way.
Why it matters"Review gating" violates Google's policies and is treated as deceptive by the FTC because it artificially inflates your average.
How it helpsAn even ask protects your listing from removal and gives you an honest rating customers actually trust.
Never Pay For or Incentivize Reviews
What to doRemove any offer that trades a discount, gift card, or entry for a review — and stop buying reviews from any service that sells them.
Why it mattersThe FTC's 2024 rule bans fake and paid reviews outright, with fines up to roughly $50,000 per violation.
How it helpsCutting incentives keeps your reviews genuine and removes the single biggest legal liability in most review programs.
Ask for Honest Feedback — Not "5 Stars"
What to doRewrite your review request to ask for an honest review of their experience, never "leave us a 5-star review."
Why it mattersAsking for a specific rating biases the result and can be read as soliciting a misleading review.
How it helpsA neutral ask stays compliant and produces the kind of authentic, specific reviews that convince new buyers.
Don't Review Your Own Business
What to doMake it a rule that owners, employees, family, and vendors never post reviews for your business — and ask any existing ones be removed.
Why it mattersInsider reviews are "undisclosed material connection" violations under FTC rules and against every major platform's terms.
How it helpsKeeping staff and insiders out of your review pool protects the listing and keeps your rating defensible.
How You Respond & Disclose
Disclose Connected Reviewers
What to doIf an influencer, affiliate, or anyone you gave a free product reviews you, make sure they clearly disclose that relationship.
Why it mattersThe FTC requires any "material connection" between you and a reviewer to be disclosed plainly and up front.
How it helpsClear disclosure keeps endorsements legal and signals to customers that you play it straight.
Never Threaten Reviewers or Use Gag Clauses
What to doDelete any contract term, intake form, or response that penalizes customers for leaving a negative review.
Why it mattersThe Consumer Review Fairness Act makes non-disparagement "gag clauses" illegal and unenforceable.
How it helpsRemoving these clauses keeps you out of legal trouble and shows you're confident enough to welcome real feedback.
Respond Without Exposing Private Details
What to doWhen you reply to a review, never confirm someone is a patient/client or share account, health, or order details publicly.
Why it mattersConfirming a customer relationship or sharing their info can breach privacy laws like HIPAA and trigger real fines.
How it helpsA careful, generic response resolves the issue publicly while keeping you on the right side of privacy rules.
Keep Public Replies Honest and Defamation-Free
What to doBefore posting a reply, strip out any claim about the reviewer you can't prove — stick to facts and a professional tone.
Why it mattersCalling a reviewer a liar or making false statements about them can expose you to a defamation claim.
How it helpsSticking to verifiable facts protects you legally and makes you look like the reasonable party to everyone reading.
How You Display & Document
Show All Reviews — Not Just the Good Ones
What to doIf you embed reviews or testimonials on your site, display them honestly instead of suppressing the negative ones.
Why it mattersThe FTC's rule specifically targets "review suppression" — hand-picking only positive reviews can be deceptive.
How it helpsA balanced display builds trust and keeps your testimonials section legally clean.
Use Real, Permitted Testimonials Only
What to doMake sure every testimonial on your site is from a real customer who gave permission to use their words and name.
Why it mattersFabricated or edited testimonials are deceptive, and using someone's words or likeness without consent invites a complaint.
How it helpsDocumented, genuine testimonials let you market confidently without fear of a takedown or claim.
Report Fake Reviews Instead of Burying Them
What to doWhen you spot a fake or extortionate review, flag it through the platform's official process rather than trying to bury it with fakes of your own.
Why it mattersFighting fake reviews with more fake reviews violates platform rules and the same FTC rule you're trying to avoid.
How it helpsUsing the proper channel removes bad reviews the legitimate way and keeps your account in good standing.
Write Down Your Review Policy
What to doPut your review-request rules in one short document so everyone who asks for reviews follows the same compliant process.
Why it mattersMost violations come from a well-meaning employee improvising — a written policy prevents that and proves intent if you're ever questioned.
How it helpsA simple, shared policy keeps your whole team consistent and gives you a paper trail that protects the business.