rogerd - 3:57 pm on Jul 15, 2009 (gmt 0)

>>They could shut thousands of websites

Actually, it was the company posting the false reviews that got fined.

This is fantastic news for sites that rely on user-generated reviews and other content. I think many businesses treat this sort of thing in a very cavalier way - knowing they could get fined out of business should put the brakes on phony posting plans.

In addition, if I were a reputation management service company or buzz marketing firm, I'd be wary of implying any kind of false posting service. All it would take is one disgruntled client or even a sales prospect that declined to do business to blow the whistle.