[James Gutierrez]

Tripadvisor reports nearly one million fake reviews in 2020​

Tripadvisor has reported that in 2020, around 943,205 reviews — 3.6% of their total of over 26 million reviews — submitted to their platform have been found to be fraudulent.

Two-thirds of the reportedly fake reviews were identified before being posted to the platform. Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock.
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In 2020, a total of 34,605 properties of fraudulent activity were penalised, and around 20,299 members were banned for failing to follow the platform’s community standards.

Investigators also identified 65 new paid review sites, adding to the previous block count of 307 sites.

Around 46,615 reviews were also removed for not complying with Tripadvisor’s new COVID-19 posting guidelines.

So far, more than 2 million review submissions have been removed, which is 8.6% of the total count of reviews. The platform either manually removes the submissions or runs its ‘advanced review analysis system’.

So, how do you spot a genuine post?

Tripadvisor said that there are several reasons why reviews are rejected or removed, ‘ranging from community standards violations (such as the use of profanity) to fake review activity’. Photo from TripAdvisor via Daily Mail.
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Tripadvisor published an infographic highlighting that a genuine review should be: recent, first-hand, relevant, respectful, and unbiased.

An example of a genuine review would read: “I enjoyed a fantastic meal here last week. The food is delicious. The chef clearly puts an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients, and as a vegan, I had plenty of options to choose from. The servers were very friendly and welcoming, and although the service was a little slow at times, that was understandable given how busy it was. Loved the ambience and décor (the restaurant was recently redecorated). I will definitely return!”

The platform added, “The report highlights the important steps Tripadvisor is taking to protect travellers, diners and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the introduction of new community standards designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 misinformation and protect businesses that have been keeping customers safe.”

Marie Audren, CEO of HOTREC (the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe), stated: “Over the years, consumer reviews have become an important resource for millions in helping them to make informed decisions and never more so than now.”

“On the other hand, fake reviews harm businesses and mislead consumers. We urge all platforms to behave transparently and diligently. This is why we highly value Tripadvisor’s latest report that shows the work that goes on behind the scenes to protect travellers from fake reviews,” she appended.

The platform also calls on everyone to work together in dealing with fake online reviews, regardless of where they are posted.

Becky Foley, head of Trust and Safety at Tripadvisor, also said: “Two years ago, we were the first major review platform to issue a transparency report that detailed the “what, why and how” behind our work to protect travellers from fake reviews. We said then that our industry must work together to fight fake reviews. Other review platforms have since followed our lead, sharing more information on their own efforts to moderate reviews. But there is still more that can be achieved through collaboration.”

‘We know from our investigations that if a fraudster is trying to infiltrate Tripadvisor with fake reviews, then they are targeting other platforms as well - and they will always follow the path of least resistance. We must stay committed, working together and in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, to stop fake reviewers and protect travellers.”


Are you a frequent user of Tripadvisor? Do you think it is crucial that they remain transparent and remove any fake reviews?