The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) prohibits fake or false reviews, buying reviews conditioned on positive or negative sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews, misleading company-controlled review sites, review suppression through threats or intimidation, and fake social media indicators. The FTC can seek civil penalties against knowing violators. Restaurants that quote guests or work with influencers should also follow the FTC's Endorsement Guides. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
The rule in brief
The FTC announced its final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials on August 14, 2024, and said it would take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register [1]. The rule is codified at 16 CFR Part 465 [2], which has these sections:
| Section | Title in the regulation | What it means for a restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| 465.2 | Fake or false consumer reviews, consumer testimonials, or celebrity testimonials | No invented diners, no reviews from people who never ate with you, and no twisted accounts of a real visit |
| 465.4 | Buying positive or negative consumer reviews | Do not offer a free dessert or discount in exchange for a positive (or negative) review |
| 465.5 | Insider consumer reviews and consumer testimonials | Reviews by owners, staff or their relatives need clear disclosure of the connection |
| 465.6 | Company-controlled review websites or entities | A "best restaurants" site you own cannot pose as independent |
| 465.7 | Review suppression | Do not use threats or intimidation to remove reviews, or present filtered reviews as all reviews |
| 465.8 | Misuse of fake indicators of social media influence | Do not buy fake followers or views for commercial use |
Section 465.2 makes it unlawful for a business to "write, create, or sell a consumer review, consumer testimonial, or celebrity testimonial that materially misrepresents" the reviewer's existence, use of the product, or experience [2]. Section 465.4 bars offering compensation or incentives conditioned on "the writing or creation of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment, whether positive or negative" [2].
The FTC's announcement also mentions AI-generated fake reviews among the practices covered, and says the rule lets the agency seek civil penalties against knowing violators [1].
What this means for your website
Quoting reviews
You can show real reviews from real guests on your website. Keep a record of where each quote came from, quote it accurately, and do not edit it in a way that changes its meaning. If you only show your best reviews, avoid suggesting that they represent all or most of your reviews; section 465.7 covers misrepresenting suppressed reviews as all or most reviews [2].
Asking for reviews
Asking happy guests to leave a review is not what the rule targets. Section 465.4 prohibits incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment [2], so a reward tied to a positive review falls inside it. If you offer any incentive, the rule's wording points to one that does not depend on what the guest says.
Staff and family reviews
Owners, staff and their relatives should not post reviews of the restaurant without a clear disclosure of the connection. The simplest policy is to ask the team not to review your own restaurant at all.
Responding to negative reviews
Respond calmly and factually. Section 465.7 prohibits using unfounded legal threats, physical threats or intimidation to prevent or remove reviews [2].
Influencers, comped meals and the Endorsement Guides
Separate from the review rule, the FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255) explain how endorsements should be disclosed [3]. For restaurants, the main practical points are:
- If you give a creator a free meal, pay them, or offer any other benefit, their posts about you should clearly disclose that connection.
- If you share or quote an influencer's post on your website, the disclosure should stay with it.
- You should not ask creators to say things they do not believe.
Write these expectations into any agreement with a creator, even an informal one.
Showing reviews on the site: good practice
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Quote real reviews with the reviewer's first name or initials and the platform | Inventing reviews, composite quotes or stock headshots |
| Link to the original review where possible | Editing quotes to change their meaning |
| Date reviews or refresh them regularly | Showing a five-year-old review as if it were current |
| Add star ratings only where they reflect real, visible reviews | Adding rating markup with no visible reviews behind it |
| Disclose any connection to a reviewer | Posting staff reviews without disclosure |
Photos and reviews together
When reviews sit next to photos on your site, the same honesty principle applies: use photos of your real food and room. Our photography layouts page covers how we handle image credits and permissions.
A simple review policy
A short written policy can help. It might say:
- We never write, buy or post fake reviews.
- We do not reward guests for positive reviews.
- Staff and family do not review our restaurant.
- We disclose any free meals or payments given to creators.
- We respond to criticism politely and never threaten reviewers.
Reviews, star ratings and search results
Can a restaurant add star ratings to its own pages so they show up in search? Two cautions apply. First, Google decides what appears in its results, and structured data does not guarantee any particular display. Second, rating markup should only describe real reviews that a visitor can see on the page. Adding a rating that is not backed by visible, genuine reviews would undercut the honesty the FTC rule is designed to protect. Google's review snippet documentation also says pages using LocalBusiness or other Organization markup are "ineligible for star review feature" when the business controls the reviews about itself [4], so star markup about your own restaurant on your own site will not produce stars in Google.
A safer approach is to let review platforms do what they do well, link to your profiles from the website, and quote a few real reviews on the pages where they help a guest decide, such as the private dining page or the about page. Keep a simple log of each quote: the reviewer's name or initials as shown on the platform, the date and the link. If a guest asks for their review to be removed from your site, remove it.
Frequently asked questions
Can we offer a discount to guests who leave a review?
Section 465.4 bars incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment, which covers a discount offered only for positive reviews. Talk to counsel before offering any review incentive.
Can we show only our best reviews on the website?
You can choose which reviews to quote, but do not present a filtered selection as all or most of your reviews.
Do comped meals for influencers need disclosure?
Yes. Under the FTC's Endorsement Guides, a material connection such as a free meal should be clearly disclosed in the creator's post.
Can we use AI to write reviews?
No. The FTC's announcement lists AI-generated fake reviews among the practices the rule covers.
Sources
Checked on October 29, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials. August 14, 2024. Primary source
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 465, Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials. Primary source
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Primary source
- Google Search Central, Review Snippet (Review, AggregateRating) Structured Data. Primary source
