Amazon, travel sites team up to battle fake reviews

The Coalition for Trusted Reviews, which also includes Booking.com, Glassdoor, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot, said it was committed to "protecting access to trustworthy consumer reviews worldwide."

Online platforms have been accused for years of not doing enough to prevent fake reviews. (Unsplash)

E-commerce giant Amazon, online travel group Expedia and other platforms announced Tuesday the creation of a coalition to prevent fake consumer reviews online. The Coalition for Trusted Reviews, which also includes Booking.com, Glassdoor, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot, said it was committed to "protecting access to trustworthy consumer reviews worldwide."

"Together, members will define best practices for hosting online reviews and sharing methods of fake review detection, aiming to stop fake reviews at the source," it said in a statement.

The group said it would develop common standards and definitions for the industry to determine what constitutes a fake review.

They will also define best practices for hosting online reviews and share information on how fraudulent actors operate, "such as companies selling fake reviews to businesses seeking to unfairly and improperly improve their reputations."

Online platforms have been accused for years of not doing enough to prevent fake reviews.

The European Union adopted a directive in 2019 aimed at protecting consumers from fake reviews.