The proposed General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5560 seeks to enhance consumer protection by prohibiting deceptive practices related to consumer reviews, testimonials, and endorsements of businesses, consumer goods, and services, effective October 1, 2025. The bill defines key terms such as "business," "consumer," and "social media platform," and establishes that it is an unfair or deceptive trade practice for businesses to engage in misleading activities, such as writing or selling false reviews, purchasing reviews that misrepresent experiences, or compensating individuals for specific sentiments in their reviews. Additionally, businesses are required to disclose any material relationships when sharing testimonials from individuals associated with the business and are prohibited from misrepresenting the independence of reviews on their platforms.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that online platforms displaying consumer reviews must present all submitted reviews without suppressing negative ones, except under specific criteria. It also prohibits business officers or managers from writing or soliciting reviews without disclosing their relationship to the business. The bill outlines actions that constitute unfair practices, such as intimidating individuals from publishing reviews or misrepresenting social media influence, and establishes clear guidelines for disclosures that must be easily understandable and unavoidable for consumers. The Commissioner of Consumer Protection is empowered to adopt regulations to implement these provisions, which aim to promote transparency and fairness in advertising and consumer engagement. Notably, the bill introduces comprehensive new regulations without any deletions from current law.