Conflict of Interest Disclosure Rules

Introduction

Transparency is essential for maintaining trust on Your.Reviews. These rules require reviewers to disclose any personal, financial, or business relationships that could influence their reviews.

What is a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest exists when a reviewer has a relationship with a business that could reasonably be expected to influence their review, either positively or negatively.

Relationships Requiring Disclosure

1. Employment Relationships

• Current or former employees of the business
• Contractors or consultants who have worked for the business
• Family members of business owners or employees

2. Financial Relationships

• Receiving compensation (money, free products, discounts) for writing the review
• Being a shareholder or investor in the business
• Having a business partnership or joint venture with the business
• Receiving referral commissions or affiliate payments

3. Personal Relationships

• Close personal friendships with business owners or key employees
• Family relationships with business owners or employees
• Romantic relationships with business owners or employees

4. Competitive Relationships

• Being a competitor of the business being reviewed
• Having a business that competes directly with the reviewed business

How to Disclose

When a conflict of interest exists, you must clearly disclose it at the beginning of your review. Examples of appropriate disclosures:

• "Disclosure: I received a free sample of this product for review purposes."
• "Disclosure: I am a former employee of this business."
• "Disclosure: The owner of this business is a personal friend."
• "Disclosure: I am a competitor in the same industry."

When Disclosure is Required

You must disclose conflicts of interest when:

• Writing a review for a business where a conflict exists
• The relationship could reasonably influence your review
• You received any form of compensation or benefit
• You have a personal relationship that could affect objectivity

When Reviews May Be Prohibited

In some cases, reviews may be prohibited entirely due to conflicts of interest:

• Current employees reviewing their own business
• Business owners reviewing their own business
• Reviews written in exchange for compensation without proper disclosure
• Competitors writing negative reviews of competitors

Compensated Reviews

If you received compensation (money, free products, discounts, or other benefits) for writing a review, you must:

• Clearly disclose the compensation received
• Explain the nature of the compensation
• Still provide an honest assessment despite the compensation
• Not allow compensation to influence your review unfairly

Consequences of Non-Disclosure

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in:

• Removal of the review
• Warning notifications
• Temporary suspension of review posting privileges
• Permanent account suspension for serious violations

Reporting Undisclosed Conflicts

If you suspect a review contains an undisclosed conflict of interest, please report it through our platform. We investigate all reports and take appropriate action.

Business Responsibilities

Businesses also have responsibilities:

• Not soliciting reviews from employees, family members, or paid reviewers
• Not offering compensation in exchange for positive reviews
• Reporting suspected conflicts of interest

Questions

If you're unsure whether a relationship constitutes a conflict of interest requiring disclosure, please contact our support team at support [at] your.reviews before posting your review.