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Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

techspot.com

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Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#31

Post by lutusp »

mixedbit wrote: post #19
umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

And is it illegal? I'm pretty sure paying for fake negative reviews of competition is illegal, because there is a clear victim. But how about positive reviews of companies' products?

> And is it illegal?

No, in most places it isn't. If a consumer was misled by a planted, phony review and bought an inferior product, he could go to civil court and demand monetary compensation, but civil courts largely deal with the kinds of damage claims that don't involve the legality of an action, only its harm.

Just remember that an illegal action would be prosecuted in a criminal court. A claim of harm would be prosecuted in a civil court.

Most of the activity surrounding phony reviews is not about the legality of the activity, but how much harm the public exposure might do to a company's reputation.

> I'm pretty sure paying for fake negative reviews of competition is illegal, because there is a clear victim.

Even in that case, it's not a question of "illegal" as much as misleading, and the remedies are usually civil, not criminal.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#33

Post by mikestew »

andrewljohnson wrote: post #24
homosaur wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are talking about Samsung here, this is the company that has pretty much ripped off every successful design in its history. I'm fairly certain they've never stood on principle for anything but a hearty office chuckle.

This is just xenophobia, unsubstantiated, and unfair to all the hard working employees.

It may be hyperbole (probably not every design is a clone of something else), but a strong argument can be made that a number of designs, from the Blackjack to recent devices, are pretty good copies of something made by another company.

Err, wait, I didn't get the subtle astroturfing joke, did I?

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#34

Post by guptaneil »

andrewljohnson wrote: post #24
homosaur wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are talking about Samsung here, this is the company that has pretty much ripped off every successful design in its history. I'm fairly certain they've never stood on principle for anything but a hearty office chuckle.

This is just xenophobia, unsubstantiated, and unfair to all the hard working employees.

What does xenophobia have to do with it? We don't know where homosaur is from. Even in the US, there are many beloved foreign corporations, such as Nintendo. I don't think anybody discounts Samsung for being Korean, or even cares. Likewise, I doubt many people support Apple just because its American.

Regarding unsubstantiated, they have been openly accused and even found guilty in multiple courts across different countries. It's an ongoing case and you may disagree with the rulings, in which case "unsubstantiated" is not the word you're looking for.

As for being unfair to hard working employees, that is definitely true. Unfortunately for those employees, their executives' actions have brought their hard work into question. Any comments regarding a company are generally a reflection on the company's leadership, not any individual employee.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#37

Post by rocky1138 »

msy wrote: post #25

Imagine the furore if Apple was caught doing this.

Companies who are leaders in their industry do not usually need to do this.

I've heard of it happening at smaller organizations or sole proprietorships (small business), but it is strange to see from a company as large as Samsung.

What's important is how high up the chain this was sanctioned by. If it's a lowly manager somewhere, he/she will just get fired and this will all blow over. If it's right at the top, it's much more embarrassing.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#38

Post by josephlord »

mixedbit wrote: post #19
umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

And is it illegal? I'm pretty sure paying for fake negative reviews of competition is illegal, because there is a clear victim. But how about positive reviews of companies' products?

I think in Europe it should be illegal throughout the EU under the Unfair Commercial Practices directive. This would apply to any fake reviews.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#39

Post by hkmurakami »

tosseraccount wrote: post #16

No one is shocked to hear that astro turfing is going on on the internet. A few too many "English Major style" reviews and it's pretty obvious.

That reminds me of how the genuine reviews on Yelp are of the terse, "This place sucks. Their dish XYZ was terrible, service took $NN." style that look spammy and get removed by their spam algorithm.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#40

Post by hkmurakami »

rocky1138 wrote: post #37
msy wrote: post #25

Imagine the furore if Apple was caught doing this.

Companies who are leaders in their industry do not usually need to do this. I've heard of it happening at smaller organizations or sole proprietorships (small business), but it is strange to see from a company as large as Samsung. What's important is how high up the chain this was sanctioned by. If it's a lowly manager somewhere, he/she will just get fired and this will all blow over. If it's right at the top, it's m…

Samsung's IP theft issues would lead me to believe that their credo is "whatever it takes to win" and this kind of behavior isn't out of line with their track record.
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