As the creator arena gets more and more competitive, some people are taking desperate measures. This has led to the rise of fake AI reviews and “viewbotting.” As the name implies, viewbotting refers to streamers who artificially inflate viewer numbers, usually via third-party software.
While viewbotting is a problem across all platforms, it’s especially prevalent on streaming platforms like Twitch. On its website, Twitch writes that viewbotting is harmful because “it limit[s] growth opportunities for legitimate broadcasters and [is] damaging to the community as a whole.”
But thanks to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), viewbotting and artificially generated reviews are now banned in the US.
What kind of viewbotting is the FTC banning?
More specifically, the FTC is prohibiting fake reviews, falsified AI-generated testimonials, company-controlled review websites, the practice of “review suppression” and the “misuse of fake social media indicators.”
Under this ruling, users will be able to file civil penalties against creators who violate any of the above rules. It was announced on August 14.
“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a statement.
“By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.”
