Canadian telecommunications giant Bell Canada has agreed to pay a $1.25 million “administrative monetary penalty” to the Canadian Government for encouraging its employees to post positive ratings and reviews of the company’s free MyBell Mobile and Virgin My Account apps, according to a news release from Canada’s Competition Bureau.
The case concerns reviews posted last fall, when “certain Bell employees were encouraged to post positive reviews and ratings” of the company’s apps “without disclosing that they work for Bell.” The report notes that the company “acted quickly” to remove the reviews and ratings as soon as it became aware of the matter, stated that “the postings were the result of an overzealous effort on the part of our service team to highlight the app.” In its release, the Competition Bureau noted that regardless of the company’s action, these reviews and ratings “created the general impression that they were made by independent and impartial consumers and temporarily affected the overall star rating for the apps.” In addition to paying the monetary penalty, Bell also agreed to “enhance and maintain its corporate compliance program, with a specific focus on prohibiting the rating, ranking or reviewing of apps in app stores by employees and contractors” as well as to “sponsor and host a workshop to promote, discuss and enhance Canadians’ trust in the digital economy, including the integrity of online reviews.” [via iPhone in Canada]
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