The Italian government has drafted a bill that aims to regulate online reviews of tourist facilities such as hotels and restaurants in order to reduce the number of false or paid comments.
This is reported by Reuters.
According to the document, which still needs to be approved by parliament, it is planned to introduce several requirements for those who leave reviews. In particular, it will be mandatory to verify identity and provide proof of visit to the establishment.
Reviews will only be allowed to be published within two weeks of visiting the establishment. If a comment is found to be false, it must be removed. However, it is not specified who will determine whether a review is false.
In addition, the bill provides for a ban on paid reviews. The Italian antitrust authority is proposed to be given the right to check comments and impose fines in case of violations.
According to Reuters, representatives of the tourism sector generally supported the initiative, but expressed concerns about the protection of personal data and the possible decrease in the number of reviews that could affect the industry.