Amazon Cracks Down on Fake KDP Reviews

We have noticed a surge in KDP account terminations due to suspected review manipulation, which signals a renewed crackdown on KDP fake reviews.  

Amazon has been cracking down on fake reviews on its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform for several years. The company has removed millions of reviews, but this recent crackdown has KDP authors worried.

Once Amazon identifies a fake review, it removes it from the KDP platform. In some cases, Amazon may also take action against the author who submitted the fake review. This could include terminating the author's account and removing their books from the KDP platform.

Methods Amazon Uses to Identify Fake KDP Reviews

Amazon uses a number of methods to identify fake reviews. These methods include:

• Machine learning: Amazon uses machine learning to identify patterns in reviews that are likely to be fake. For example, reviews that are all five stars or all one star are more likely to be fake than reviews that are a mix of ratings.
• Reviewer behavior: Amazon also looks at reviewer behavior to identify fake reviews. For example, reviewers who only review books from one author or who only review books in a particular genre are more likely to be fake than reviewers who review a variety of books.
• User reports: Amazon also relies on user reports to identify fake reviews. If a customer believes that a review is fake, they can report it to Amazon.

Once Amazon identifies a fake review, it removes it from the KDP platform. In some cases, Amazon may also take action against the author who submitted the fake review. This could include suspending the author's account or removing their books from the KDP platform.

How Amazon Enforces Its Policies Against Fake Reviews

​Amazon has a number of policies in place to combat fake reviews. These policies include:

• Prohibiting incentivized reviews: Amazon prohibits authors from offering anything of value in exchange for a review. This includes free books, gift cards, and other forms of compensation.
• Requiring verified purchases: Amazon requires all reviewers to have a verified purchase before they can leave a review. This means that the reviewer must have actually purchased the product they are reviewing.
• Removing fake reviews: Amazon removes all fake reviews from its platform. In some cases, Amazon may also take action against the author who submitted the fake review.

Conclusion

Amazon used to tolerate its KDP authors joining book promotion and review groups, but the recent crackdown indicates a turn to a zero tolerance policy.  Authors who have been the target of recent termination enforcement should contact Amazon Sellers Attorney for a free consultation.