People who post fake hotel reviews on TripAdvisor are to be named and shamed - and could face legal action, it has been revealed.
Kwikchex, an online reputation management company acting on behalf of 800 hotels and restaurants, plans to publish a list of 'thousands of reviewers' that it suspects of fraudulent and defamatory posts.
Under fire: TripAdvisor has been accused of printing malicious reviews without checking their authenticity
Once the list is published, websites that feature user-generated content - such as TripAdvisor - will have to notify any reviewers on the list. They will be given two weeks to remove their comments. They could face legal action if they cannot prove that they visited the hotels or restaurants concerned.
Kwikchex’s Chris Emmins told The Telegraph: ‘‘People who leave these anonymous reviews, which can damage the reputation of both businesses and individuals, need to realise that not only can they be sued for libel but they can also face criminal prosecution.’
The company said they would apply for a court application that would force the website publisher to disclose any information they held regarding the identity of the poster so that the business could ‘repair the damage done to its reputation’.
Source:: Mail Online
