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BBZ Updates & PoliciesLegal & Compliance (Indonesia)

When Reviews Become Weapons

By 12. October 2025No Comments4 min read

How Lies on Google & Social Media Threaten Livelihoods – and What This Means Legally in Indonesia

Digital reviews now decide walk-in traffic, bookings, and trust. Fair criticism even helps improve quality. But more and more often, entrepreneurs in Bali experience 1-star reviews appearing without any real cause—built on insinuations, personal attacks, and false claims. This is not harmless. It can damage livelihoods—and in Indonesia it can have criminal consequences.

What’s at stake?

  • Reputation is currency. A stable good name brings inquiries, repeat customers, and growth.
  • Reputational damage is real damage. Worse visibility, fewer bookings, more expensive advertising, weakened partner relations.
  • Fair vs. fake. Subjective, verifiable criticism is legitimate. Invented facts and personalized defamation are not.

Where do unjustified 1-star reviews come from?

• Disappointed expectations: “No discount,” “not the way I wanted it.”
• Competitive pressure: competitors who intentionally cause harm.
• Toxic dynamics: people who turn frustration into publicity—with name-dropping, false claims, stolen images.

Characteristic: The posted narrative deviates strongly from documented communication (email/WhatsApp). Evidence exists—it’s just ignored by the reviewing person.

Legal fact check (Indonesia) – short & clear

Defamation is a criminal offense in Indonesia, including online.

  1. KUHP § 310 (Criminal Code): Protection of honor/reputation against false, publicly disseminated claims.
  2. ITE Law (Law No. 1/2024), Art. 27A: Specific provisions for online defamation. Anyone who publicly spreads false claims about individuals/companies risks up to 2 years in prison or a fine up to IDR 400 million (or both).

Anyone who publishes false, reputation-damaging content online without legitimate reason is playing with criminal fire. Opinion ≠ free pass. Facts may not be invented. Those who lie and cause harm act in Indonesia in a manner subject to criminal penalties.
(Note: This section provides general information and does not replace legal advice.)

Our position (BBZ Bali)

We work hard every day for quality, hygiene, consultation, and safe, professionally correct treatments. Constructive criticism? Always welcome!

Invented facts, personal insults, defamation? No.

In September 2025, we were demonstrably threatened with a negative review because we refused a medically questionable approach. That was the point at which we—together with other entrepreneurs—obtained legal advice in Jakarta.

Our course of action for false reviews

  1. Secure & document: screenshots, timestamps, chat/email histories, proof of image sources.
  2. Report & appeal: within the platforms (Google/Meta) according to policies—including “fake profile,” “fake interaction,” “identity abuse,” “misrepresentation.”
  3. Take legal action:
    1. Criminal complaint with the competent authorities in Indonesia.
    2. Removal of the content on Google—if necessary ordered by a court.
    3. In serious cases: further action in the author’s home country on the basis of the Indonesian judgment (keywords: slander, defamation, false claims).

Plainly put: We will pursue every demonstrably false, reputation-damaging review consistently.

How to recognize fair criticism

  • Concrete & verifiable: date, service, procedure, result—described in a traceable way.
  • Objective in tone: no personal attacks, no insinuations, no name-and-shame.
  • Open to correction: willingness to clarify misconceptions, see evidence, and adjust the review if necessary.

Everything else—especially lies and defamation—is not “feedback.” It is an attack on reputation and livelihood.

Closing note

Once again, to be clear: This post is not aimed at customers who share their negative experiences honestly and in a comprehensible manner. Constructive criticism is welcome—lies and defamation are not.
Constructive, even critical feedback helps us. Tell us the truth—we’ll listen.

Your team Beauty by Zahra – BBZ Bali

For entrepreneurs in Bali: Are you struggling with baseless 1-star attacks? Write to us on WhatsApp. We are continuously expanding our Bali business network, sharing know-how, templates, and reputable contacts—so that bad acting doesn’t become business reality.

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