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However dishonest the practice of writing fake reviews is, some companies still engage in this tactic to boost their business while slating on their competitors. Fake reviews, in fact, are quite common and even major companies have been caught doing it. A company simply hires a group of writers to pretend as satisfied customers and post positive reviews on different websites about their products. Some companies even go as far as hiring writers to post negative reviews about their competitors just to give them an edge in the market. From hotel and travel websites like TripAdvisor.com, book websites like Amazon, and even Apple app store, business owners and consumers aren’t safe anymore from these fake reviews. 

App Store Reviews- A Question of Reliability

With the reports of fake reviews on App Store, how do you know which ones are genuine and which ones are false? As a consumer, are you still likely to trust the reviews of different Apple applications? As the developer of an application on App Store, how sure are you that the negative review you received is truly from a dissatisfied customer and not from a competitor who wishes to ruin your credibility? Truly, reliability is an issue here that affects not only consumers but developers of applications as well. 

From the Customer’s Point of View

As a consumer, you expect to read honest reviews from other customers like yourself. This is why review websites are so popular in the first place because who else can you trust if not the people who have already tried and tested the product? Fake reviews on App Store destroys the whole point of review websites and tricks consumers into thinking one product is better than another even if this isn’t actually true. As a customer, one way to protect yourself from fake reviews is to find as much sources as possible about the application from App Store you want to buy. Doing so will decrease the chances of reading bogus reviews. You can also usually tell with the choice of words used by the reviewer if it is genuine or not. More often than not, flowery sentences filled with praise for an application are false as well as those that are filled with rage out of proportion over the application on App Store.

From the Application Creator’s Point of View

If you are the developer of the application with fake reviews on App Store, this is usually a move of a competitor to discredit you. Fake reviews can discourage consumers from buying your application and can also affect future applications coming from you that will be available in Apple’s App Store. Apple App Store, like other review websites, is immune from any liability resulting from an action of its users. They are merely the 3^rd party re-publisher of the reviews and are protected under the Communications Decency Act. Apple has at least done certain measures to avoid fake reviews on App Store as much as possible and facilitate removal of reviews which are proven to be false.

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