TripAdvisor urges Google and Facebook to step up fake-posts fight after it detects over a million bogus reviews
- A TripAdvisor report found that 2.1 per cent of 66 million reviews – nearly 1.4 million – submitted to the site in 2018 were fake
- One senior director says that as long as other review platforms aren’t taking aggressive action, fraudsters will continue to exploit businesses for cash
One million fake reviews have been snared by travel platform TripAdvisor as it steps up its fight to catch out fraudulent posters, the company has announced.
This week, the user-contributed travel review website published its first Review Transparency Report. It contains details about the number of fake and misleading reviews posted on the popular online platform.
TripAdvisor is seen as the go-to hub for many seeking recommendations for hotels, restaurants, bars and other activities during their travels, and businesses know the financial rewards that await if they hit the website’s revered top 10 lists.
Many places proudly parade “As recommended in TripAdvisor” stickers, and its signature logo is brandished across hotel and restaurant websites that have achieved a coveted TripAdvisor Top 10 title.
Then there are spots offering freebies in exchange for dubious good reviews: a free coffee at a cafe or cocktail at a bar. Taking it to another level are fake reviewers and a rising number of companies selling fake reviews, jeopardising TripAdvisor’s credibility in a world that operates exclusively on delivering reliable recommendations.
