Decoding Deception: Unmasking Fake Reviews with The Transparency Company

Ever wondered how to combat the fake online reviews?

In this episode of the David vs. Goliath Podcast, Matt Dolman and Stan Gipe welcome Curtis Boyd, founder of The Transparency Company, to discuss the power of online reviews and how his company is helping to combat illegitimate reviews.

Curtis explains the different types of fake reviews, how businesses can be negatively impacted by them, the process of identifying and addressing fake negative reviews, and disputing fake positive reviews. He also discusses the need for better moderation and verification systems and the challenges of getting big tech companies like Google to address fake reviews.

In this episode: 

• [00:42] Reviews are Prominent Factors in Google's Algorithm: Reviews play a significant role in Google's algorithm, and it’s important to understand their impact on local rankings.
• [01:25] The Transparency Company's Approach to Identifying Fake Reviews: Curtis explains their work in building algorithms, software, and AI to detect false online reviews, targeting accounts that violate Google's terms of service.
• [02:46] Identifying Red Flags in Reviews: The Transparency Company uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to identify authorship styles, duplicate content, and reviewer networks as red flags to indicate fake reviews.
• [07:21] The Challenges of Addressing False Negative Reviews: The challenges of identifying false negative reviews and how The Transparency Company seeks previously purchased fake positive reviews to narrow down potential sources of false negatives.
• [12:35] Behind the Veil of Fake Reviews: The incentives behind fake reviews, the impact of fake reviews on consumer trust, and the difficulty of getting Google to take action.
• [18:26] Moderation Challenges: The process of exposing and disputing bogus five-star reviews, the importance of maintaining consumer trust, and the challenges associated with persuading platforms like Google and the Better Business Bureau to act.
• [19:52] The Growth of The Transparency Company: The company’s exponential growth highlights the urgency of distinguishing authentic businesses from those bolstered by deceitful ratings.
• [23:19] Google’s Hostility to Authenticating Reviews: Google recently removed a review-athenticating Chrome extension built by The Transparency Company.

🔑 Relevant Resources 🔑

• Connect with Curtis: LinkedIn | The Transparency Company
• Kubernetes

The insights and views presented in this podcast are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information presented is not a substitute for consulting with an attorney. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. Any case result information provided on any portion of this podcast should not be understood as a promise of any particular result in a future case. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers: Big firm results, small firm...