TripAdvisor, as a leader in hotel reviews and online bookings, has faced ongoing scrutiny over the presence of transparently fake reviews. Some might say the site harbors fake reviews by not doing enough to police the matter. With the recent confession by an Australian hotel PR Exec to posting over 100 fake reviews (effusive praise for his brand, slander for competing brands) to TripAdvisor, one starts to wonder how deep the scandal runs. Luckily, the vast majority of fake reviews strike an unnaturally positive note so are relatively easy to detect. Which also means we can still indulge in bad reviews with a clear conscience! [Gadling]
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