Greg LindenNew penalties for fake crowds faking reviews or popularity on social media. Right now, businesses can create thousands of shill accounts that like, share, and fake reviews for their stuff. That also manipulates ranker algorithms like search and recommendations, which works like free advertising for unscrupulous businesses. Bogus reviews and fake crowds now will be seen as deceptive and risk large penalties, changing the economics of spam and shilling. Great news here.
The prohibition against shill reviews is getting all the headlines, but this part is perhaps even more important as it blocks manipulation social media and ranking algorithms using hordes of bogus or shill accounts: "Businesses would be prohibited from selling false indicators of social media influence, like fake followers or views. The proposed rule also would bar anyone from buying such indicators to misrepresent their importance for a commercial purpose."