Tripadvisor removed more than 2.7 million fake reviews in 2024—a jump from two million the year before—and detailed this in their 2025 Transparency Report. Apparently, moderators looked at roughly 4.2 million reviews at some point, either before or after they hit the site.
They manage reviews with a mix of automated checks, hands-on oversight, and feedback from regular users. Out of the 31.1 million reviews in 2024, about 87.8% breezed through the automated system and landed online. At the same time, roughly 7.3% were nixed by tech-based filters, while human reviewers flagged around 4.9% for further scrutiny.
It turns out that a good chunk—some 54%—of the fake reviews came from what’s known as “review boosting.” That’s when businesses or their allies drop in positive reviews to jack up ratings. In that same year, Tripadvisor even sent warnings to nearly 9,000 businesses that were prodding customers or…
