Committed to review authenticity
We’re industry veterans who have watched the review authenticity
problem collide with the dawn of the agentic search era.
Rather than wait, or try to fight to moderate content, we’re
changing the paradigm and building the TrueReview Certification
Directory to be the review authenticity verification layer for
agentic commerce.
The TrueReview Certification directory is the only place where
consumers and agents can go to confirm they can trust a businesses
online reviews.
Our Mission
Help truth win in agentic search.
For consumers & agents
TrueReview Certification exists to give consumers and AI agents a way to ensure the reviews they’re making decisions based on are real.
For honest businesses
We ensure Certified businesses get credit for earning their reputation the right way. We exist to make honesty a competitive advantage — for businesses, for consumers, and for the AI agents increasingly making decisions on both their behalf.
“You wouldn’t buy a car without a clean Carfax. You wouldn’t eat at a restaurant without an A health rating. Don’t trust a business’s online reviews without a TrueReview certification.”
The people behind TrueReview Certification
Two leaders with decades of combined experience inside the online review ecosystem, backed by a group of people committed to improving the review ecosystem.
Founders
Michael Yules
CEO, GatherUp
Michael leads GatherUp, the reputation management and customer feedback platform working with tens of thousands of local businesses globally. After years of observing businesses compete in the online marketplace, and seeing the agentic commerce paradigm unfold, he became convinced an independent review authenticity layer was overdue. He brings the operator's view.
Curtis Boyd
Founder, Transparency Co.
Curtis built Transparency Co. into one of the most-cited voices on review authenticity, including being routinely consulted by major platforms and regulators on fake-review detection. He has spent years documenting the playbook fraudsters use — the broker networks, the AI-generated copy farms, the gating software disguised as 'reputation management' — and translating that work into evidence that holds up in front of the FTC. He brings the investigator's perspective.
Advisory board
Michael Atleson
Senior Counsel, DLA Piper
Former Senior Staff Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, FTC
Co-author of the FTC Trade Regulation Rule on Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465). Brings regulatory and enforcement context.
Brad Weatherall
Chief Operating Officer, Esquire Digital
Former Director of Operations, Google
GBP expert who led moderation of Google's reviews ecosystem. Brings robust experience in marketplace operations.
Steve McFarland
CEO, BBB of Los Angeles and Silicon Valley
Long-tenured BBB executive with decades of accreditation and consumer trust expertise.
Zac Bookman
Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, OpenGov
A godfather of the government technology industry with decades of government experience.
Our Independence Policy
The certification only means something if it can’t be bought.
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We don't take money from review platforms.
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Our auditing team operates independently from our commercial team.
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No business can buy a certification — passing the audit is the only way to earn one.
Press & Inquiries
Want to talk to us?
For press inquiries, partnership discussions, or regulatory questions, reach out directly. We respond personally.
info@truereviewcertification.comSee the methodology
The full audit process — what we measure, how decisions are made, and how we re-certify daily.
How it works