Tripadvisor blocks 2 million fake reviews in 2023

Removing fake reviews is a growing concern for regulators and businesses reliant on online reviews to maintain integrity

With more than a billion reviews and opinions from global travelers on its site, Tripadvisor lays claim to the title of the travel’s leading guidance platform — making its biennial transparency reports something of a barometer for the industry.

Key takeaways

• Last year, out of 31 million reviews submitted to the company, blocked reviews made up 6.3% of the total, marking a more than 50% increase from the previous year.
• The term "fake" encompasses various forms of misleading or biased posts, including positive reviews from insiders like owners, employees, or family members, paid reviews, competitor-driven reviews, and fraudulent consumer reviews aimed at either boosting or harming a business.
• Tripadvisor has observed a rise in incentivized reviews, where reviews are posted in exchange for freebies. Increased scrutiny on such reviews may explain part of the surge in fake reviews last year, with incentivized reviews comprising 22% of the blocked reviews—a record number, according to Tripadvisor.

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