Amazon sues 10,000 Facebook group administrators over fake reviews
CBS
Amazon Sues 10K Facebook Group Admins Over Fake Reviews
Image copyright: Amazon/Meta [via Daily Mail]
The Facts
Amazon has taken legal action in the State of Washington's King County court against leaders of Facebook groups who allegedly persuaded users to post fake positive product reviews in exchange for money or gifts.
The alleged fraudulent activity, which violates Amazon's rules, occurred in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan, focusing on products like camera tripods and car stereos.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Given the online nature of today's pandemic-era retail industry, consumers rely on reviews to make the best decisions for themselves. Retail giants like Amazon don't always look out for consumers' best interests, and this trend needs to end now through better regulation.
Pro-establishment narrative
Companies like Amazon and Facebook haven't turned a blind eye to this significant issue, as it hurts their business, too. They've already banned fraudulent reviews on their sites, and they're continuing to build teams of investigators and machine learning tools to combat such acts. This is an example of "Big Tech" being conscientious about doing the right thing.