There isn’t much that all members of the U.S. Senate can agree on these days, but protecting the ability of consumers to write reviews of businesses has emerged as a uniting issue.

The Senate voted unanimously December 14 to approve the Consumer Review Freedom Act, which outlaws contract provisions that prohibit or restrict individuals’ ability to write reviews of the products or services provided under the contract, such as by imposing fines for such reviews or transferring the copyright in such reviews to the business. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the Act and is instructed to provide businesses with best practices for compliance. The Act, introduced by Republican Sen. John Thune, passed with an amendment clarifying that website operators may still include contract provisions reserving their right to remove certain content, including content that is unlawful, false, or misleading.
Continue Reading Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015 Wins Support of Every Senator