Standard titled “IS 19000:2022”

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Context

The Department of Consumer Affairs has created a standard titled “IS 19000:2022” that will be managed by the nation’s standards body Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Background

All the countries where e-commerce is getting more and more prevalent and popular, they are all struggling with [online fake reviews].
Reviews posted online play a significant role in making purchase decisions and consumers exceedingly rely on reviews posted on e-commerce platforms to see the opinion and experience of users who have already purchased the good or service.
Given that e-commerce involves a virtual shopping experience without any opportunity to physically view or examine the product, it is essential that reviews are genuine, authentic and trustworthy.
Taking cognizance of the impact of fake and deceptive reviews and protection of consumer interest in e-commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs constituted a committee to develop framework on checking fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce.

Aim

This framework has been launched for safeguarding and protecting consumer interest from fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce.

Guidelines under the Framework

Under the guidelines, platforms will be required to set up review administrators to moderate reviews using automated tools or manually to filter out biases and restrict fraudulent reviews. The reviews should also include the publishing date and star rating.
Consumers should not be allowed to edit their reviews and use foul language. Platforms should also restrict authors giving fraudulent reviews from publishing such reviews in the future.
Authors submitting reviews online will be required to verify their identity by platforms. Platforms will verify consumers’ identity from their email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses or by using a Captcha system.

Applicability

In addition to online platforms, the newly released guidelines will apply to third parties conducting reviews on the web.
The standards will be applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews.
The department wants all e-commerce entities to adopt the framework as early as possible and get certified by BIS after adhering to the given standard. However, the government has not made it mandatory for platforms to follow the guidelines at the moment.
Once made mandatory, if required, the violation of the standards by any entity may be considered as an unfair trade practice or violation of consumer rights and a consumer may submit such grievances to the National Consumer Helpline, Consumer Commissions or the CCPA.

The standard

The standard provides for methods for verification of review author through email address, identification by telephone call or SMS, confirming registration by clicking on a link, using captcha system etc. to check traceability and genuineness of the review author.
The standard provides for responsibilities of organization including developing a code of practice, and necessary stipulations for terms and conditions like accessibility, criteria, and ensuring content does not contain financial information etc.

Significance

The standard is expected to benefit all stakeholders in the e-commerce ecosystem i.e., consumers, e-commerce platforms, sellers etc. It will help usher in confidence among consumers to purchase goods online and help them take better purchase decisions.