Google Maps Is Ready to Publicly Shame Businesses for Fake Reviews

If you’re one of those people who rely on Google Maps to figure out if a business or restaurant is worth your time, you’re probably familiar with reading user reviews to help you decide. But let’s face it, we all know that some of those glowing reviews aren’t always legit. In this era of AI, fake and AI-generated reviews are everywhere, and it’s getting harder to tell if that 5-star rating is actually real or just some shady attempt to inflate rankings.

Well, Google’s had enough. After tightening up its Fake Engagement policy this month, they’re cracking down on businesses that think it’s okay to pad their ratings with fake reviews. And they’re not just removing the bogus reviews – they’re going to publicly shame these businesses.

As reported by Search Engine Roundtable, Google will slap a public warning right on a business’s Google Maps page if it’s caught soliciting fake reviews. The updated policy will also hit them where it hurts: they’ll be banned from getting new ratings or reviews for a certain period. Yep, their precious stars will be frozen, and everyone will know about it.

Up until recently, these punishments were mostly limited to businesses in the UK, but as of mid-September, Google quietly updated its **Business Profile policy violations** page. Now, no business is safe – this applies to everyone, everywhere. While only a few users in the UK are seeing these shame badges for now, it won’t be long before the warnings go global.

Google’s Crackdown on Fake Reviews – Finally!

With how cutthroat businesses can be, it’s no secret some companies not only buy fake reviews but also go as far as bombing their competitors with bad ones. While that will make it tricky for Google to figure out who’s actually behind the reviews, this move is definitely a step in the right direction. Businesses will now have to work for their good reviews instead of using underhanded tactics.

If businesses think they’ve been flagged unfairly, they can submit an appeal to Google. But good luck trying to explain why hundreds of glowing reviews popped up overnight.

It’s about time we see Google step in like this. Let’s see how fast those perfect 5-star profiles start cleaning up their act when they know Google’s got them on blast.