Analysis of Giving Negative Reviews to Restaurants Based on Criminal Law in Indonesia

Restaurant reviews are one of the most frequently appearing content on social media, and are one of the promotional media for culinary business actors. Brand is one of the most important things in maintaining customer trust. Negative reviews of restaurants without permission can harm their owners, thus providing legal standing to take specific legal measures. This article analyzes whether negative reviews can be included in the category of criminal acts and how the legal measures are. This research is normative juridical legal research; legal materials are collected through literature studies, and all legal materials are analyzed descriptively and qualitatively. The study results indicate that unauthorized restaurant reviews fall into the category of defamation as regulated in the Criminal Code and the Information and Electronic Transactions Law, and can develop into extortion if there is an element of money in it. Interested parties can resolve it through litigation if they feel disadvantaged.