Fake or False Reviews Hurting Your Business? Your Options for Removal and Recovery
A fake review can cost a business customers for years, and the platform hosting it usually has no legal duty to take it down. Jonathan Phillips helps Illinois businesses and professionals remove false reviews, identify the people behind them, and decide when a lawsuit is worth the cost. Updated October 2026.
At a glance
Platforms: Google, Yelp, Facebook, and others remove reviews that violate their policies, not reviews you simply dislike
Why you cannot sue the platform: Section 230 shields websites from liability for most user content
Who you can sue: The reviewer, if the review states a false fact that harmed you
Federal rule: The FTC's rule on fake reviews and testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) bans fake and bought reviews
Deadline: Defamation generally has a one-year limitations period in Illinois
How do I know if a review is fake?
Never a customer: No record of a sale, appointment, or contact
Competitor or former employee: A reviewer with a conflict of interest
Review bombing: Many similar reviews in a short time, often after a news story or social post
Paid or incentivized reviews: Reviews bought for your business or against a competitor
Wrong business: A review meant for a different company
What will platforms remove?
Platforms remove reviews that violate their content policies, such as fake engagement, conflicts of interest, off-topic content, harassment, and illegal content. They rarely remove a review only because it is critical or you disagree with it. Flagging through the platform's own tools is the first step. A well-documented request, with records showing the reviewer was never a customer, works better than an argument that the review is unfair.
Can I sue over a false review?
Yes, in some cases, but the review has to state a false fact about your business, not an opinion, and it has to have harmed you. "They never showed up" is a fact you can disprove. "I did not enjoy it" is an opinion. The claim runs against the reviewer. If the reviewer is anonymous, you may first need a court order to identify them: see how to unmask an anonymous online poster. See the online defamation page for what that claim requires.
What does the FTC rule change?
The FTC's rule bans a set of deceptive review practices, including writing or buying fake reviews, suppressing negative reviews through improper means, and selling reviews. It applies to businesses that post or buy fake reviews for themselves or against competitors, and it allows civil penalties [verify scope and penalty amounts]. It also means a competitor posting fake reviews about you may be violating federal law, which can support a complaint to the FTC or a state attorney general, and may support claims such as false advertising or unfair competition.
Can a business stop customers from posting reviews?
No. The Consumer Review Fairness Act (15 U.S.C. § 45b) makes most form-contract clauses that restrict honest customer reviews void, and the FTC enforces it. If your terms of service contain a gag or non-disparagement clause for customers, talk to counsel before you rely on it [verify scope and exceptions].
What should I do in the first week?
Screenshot the review with the date, reviewer name, and URL, and save a copy of your profile page.
Search your records for the reviewer: invoices, appointments, emails, or call logs, to show whether they were a customer.
Flag the review through the platform's tools and record the report number.
Reply publicly, briefly and calmly, if you reply at all. Do not accuse the reviewer or reveal private customer details.
Do not write or buy reviews to push the bad one down, and do not offer money or favors for removal. That can violate the FTC rule and platform policies.
When is a lawsuit worth it?
Worth considering: Clear false facts, provable harm, a known or identifiable reviewer, and a pattern or a competitor behind it.
Probably not worth it: A single opinion-based review, a truthful but harsh review, or a reviewer who cannot be found.
Start with a letter: A short demand letter to a known reviewer, with a retraction request, often resolves the issue without a suit. Any letter should be reviewed first, since an overreaching demand can lead to an anti-SLAPP motion under Illinois's Citizen Participation Act.
How I handle these
Jonathan helps businesses with platform removal requests, demand letters, unmasking anonymous reviewers, and defamation suits where the facts support one. He does not promise removal of any review or a particular outcome. Flat fees may be available for many removal requests and demand letters. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Will Google or Yelp remove a fake review if I ask? Sometimes. Platforms remove reviews that break their policies, such as reviews from competitors or people who never used your business, but they rarely remove a review only because it is negative.
Can I sue over a bad review? Only if it contains a false statement of fact that harmed you. Opinions are protected, and the review's author, not the platform, is the defendant.
Can I make customers agree not to post reviews? No. The Consumer Review Fairness Act makes most form-contract clauses that restrict honest customer reviews void.
Can I find out who wrote an anonymous review? Sometimes. In Illinois you can ask a court to order disclosure, but you have to show specific facts supporting a defamation claim.
What does it cost? Flat fees may be available for many removal requests and demand letters.
Jonathan L.A. Phillips, Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP. Part of Internet Law. Last reviewed October 2026. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.