Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Glassdoor, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot have forged a groundbreaking alliance by unveiling the Coalition for Trusted Reviews, a worldwide collaborative effort to safeguard access to credible consumer reviews. This pioneering initiative aims to empower consumers to make informed purchase decisions by defining industry best practices for hosting online reviews and sharing strategies for detecting and curbing fake reviews at the source.
The genesis of this coalition can be traced back to the inaugural Fake Reviews Conference in San Francisco in October 2022, organized by TripAdvisor. During the event, experts from government, academia, and various industries convened to explore the challenges posed by fake reviews and potential solutions. Consequently, the coalition was formed to focus on public education and information sharing, with the primary goal of reducing review fraud.
The coalition’s commitment to protecting consumers and industry partners from fake reviews encompasses several key areas:
Industry Alignment: Establishing universal standards and definitions for identifying fake reviews and enhancing content moderation terminology and metrics.
Best Practice Sharing: Defining optimal practices for hosting online reviews and disseminating information on improved content moderation processes and advanced methods for detecting fake reviews.
Information Sharing: Exchanging insights regarding the operational methods of fraudulent actors, such as companies that peddle fake reviews to businesses aiming to unfairly boost their reputations.
Advocacy: Collaborating with academics and public policy leaders to underscore the value of review content for consumers and supporting industry efforts to combat the publication of fake reviews.
The coalition stands firm in its commitment to maintaining the highest levels of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the world of reviews. Through joint initiatives, the coalition seeks to establish new benchmarks for preserving the authenticity of reviews and instilling confidence in consumers worldwide.
Members of the coalition are set to convene again in Brussels on December 5th and 6th, at the second conference, organized by Amazon.
Quotes from Coalition Members:
Amazon: “The goal of this coalition is to ensure every review reflects customers’ actual experiences. Amazon is aggressively fighting fake review brokers to protect our customers and selling partners. Through greater collaboration and sharing across industries, we can more effectively shut down fraudulent review activity, deter other bad actors, and protect more consumers.” – Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Selling Partner Services.
Booking.com: “Together, we can explore best practices and learn from each other, thereby increasing awareness across the industry to the benefit of an even wider array of consumers and businesses.” – Spencer Mott, Chief Security Officer at Booking.com.
Expedia Group: “Authentic reviews are crucial for travelers when booking accommodations, destinations, and experiences. Expedia Group takes pride in participating in this coalition to combat these fake actors, who pose a direct threat to our industry’s most valuable asset: trust.” – CJ Allen, Vice President, Marketplace Experience & Trust, Expedia Group.
Glassdoor: “Glassdoor’s moderation team is constantly evolving our processes to prevent fake reviews on our platform. We look forward to closer collaboration with our industry partners to create new frameworks to mitigate fake reviews and maintain trust in content on Glassdoor and elsewhere online.” – Cara Barry, Glassdoor Director of Content and Community.
Tripadvisor: “To further maintain the credibility and authenticity of reviews on our platforms, we aim to make it increasingly difficult for fraudulent actors who try to deceive our customers to operate online. Combating these operators, particularly those attempting to sell fake reviews to companies looking to improve their online reputations, will be an immediate area of focus.” – Becky Foley, Vice President, Trust & Safety, Tripadvisor.
Trustpilot: “Greater collaboration and sharing of ideas across the reviews industry, through the Coalition for Trusted Reviews, will undoubtedly be a major boost in the global fight against fraud and deception as we work to combat those who seek to undermine trust online.” – Carolyn Jameson, Chief Trust and Consumer Officer at Trustpilot.
The Coalition for Trusted Reviews comprises industry leaders in hospitality, retail, consumer services, and travel, dedicated to providing trustworthy reviews that empower customers to make informed purchasing decisions. Member companies are united in their commitment to combat fraudulent customer reviews. The coalition currently includes Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia, Glassdoor, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot.
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