Is review boosting illegal?
Review boosting is illegal when it relies on fake, undisclosed, or misleading endorsements. In the US, regulators and platforms treat deceptive review activity as consumer fraud.
Educational content only, not legal advice. US laws and platform enforcement can vary by state and industry.
Review boosting is not automatically illegal, but deceptive boosting is. If a business posts fake testimonials, hides incentives, or asks people with no real experience to leave praise, that crosses legal and platform lines. US enforcement focuses on misleading endorsements because they distort consumer decisions. Platforms also penalize suspicious surges and coordinated wording patterns. Ethical boosting means improving the volume of genuine feedback through post purchase requests, clear disclosures, and consistent response management. It should reflect real customer outcomes, not manufactured sentiment. Businesses that invest in authentic systems usually keep reviews longer and convert better because trust compounds. Build a repeatable process with verified users, review monitoring, and monthly review growth planning so momentum stays compliant and defensible over time.
What to do instead
- Collect reviews from real buyers through transparent request workflows.
- Use compliant incentive language with clear disclosures when allowed.
- Track sentiment and response speed to improve service, not manipulate signals.
Common mistakes
- Treating all review growth as the same regardless of disclosure rules.
- Overlooking platform terms while focusing only on short-term volume.
- Using duplicate review copy that creates obvious manipulation patterns.
Our team builds a platform-compliant, long-term reputation strategy that helps brands scale authentic social proof without deception.
Related: Is it legal to purchase reviews? · Further reading: Online Reputation Management Guide