Google Just Changed the Rules on Reviews. Most Middle Tennessee Businesses Don’t Know Yet.

Most Middle Tennessee business owners have some kind of review strategy in place — a follow-up text, a script, a process for asking customers what to write. On April 17, 2026, Google quietly updated its review policy and made most of those strategies a violation. No press release. No email. No warning in your dashboard. Just a new rule, an AI enforcement system already running, and a wave of review removals hitting businesses that had no idea anything changed. This post breaks down exactly what Google changed, what's still allowed, and the four things every local business owner needs to do this week before the penalty hits them.