FTC fake-review rule + Google policies — manipulation legally risky and increasingly detectable

Claim: The FTC's fake-review rule and Google policies prohibit incentivized / fake reviews; manipulation is both legally risky and increasingly detectable. Honest review generation only.

Source: FTC final rule on fake reviews and testimonials; Google Business Profile content policy.

Confidence: Verified.

Why this matters for Candid: Hard compliance limit on review-generation work. The widget's recommendation to "ask your most recent customers for a review" is fine; "buy reviews," "incentivize reviews," or "have employees write reviews" is not. Reinforces why reviews are a durable moat (Factor 5 — Trust/review moats (conversion, not just ranking)) — they cannot legitimately be shortcut.