Yelp Cracks Down on Fake Reviews After Trump’s McDonald’s Visit
In an effort to maintain the integrity of its platform, Yelp has temporarily disabled new reviews on a McDonald’s location in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, following an influx of suspicious comments. The restaurant in question was visited by former President Donald Trump on Sunday, sparking a wave of unusual reviews that described Trump’s criminal convictions, demeanor, and customer service skills.
The Reviews: A Mix of Humor and Vitriol
The comments, which ranged from humorous to vulgar, were largely one-star reviews that criticized the franchise owner for hosting the Trump campaign. One review, posted on October 21, quipped, “The fries were too salty as if someone who lost a major election had been crying over them for an hour.” Another review, this one five-star, praised the restaurant, saying, “The best McDonald’s I’ve ever been to in 47 years. The older employee was extremely nice. Make McDonald’s Great Again! Bring back the Dollar Menu!”
Yelp’s Response: Protecting the Integrity of the Platform
Yelp’s decision to pause commenting on the McDonald’s page was made in accordance with its “unusual activity alert” policy. According to Noorie Malik, vice president of user operations at Yelp, “For Yelp to remain a useful resource to the community, reviews must be based on a genuine, firsthand experience with the business.” Malik added that when Yelp sees a dramatic decrease or stop in unusual activity, moderators will clean up the page to reflect only reviews that describe legitimate customer experiences.
A Growing Trend: Politics and Yelp Reviews
This is not the first time Yelp has had to deal with fake reviews related to politics. According to the 2023 Yelp Trust & Safety Report, 112 business pages in the US received an unusual activity alert for incidents related to politics or political figures, resulting in the removal of over 5,000 reviews.
The Franchise Owner’s Response: Proud to Serve the Community
Derek Giacomantonio, the franchise owner of the McDonald’s in question, released a statement saying, “As a small, independent business owner, it is a fundamental value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community.” Giacomantonio added that he accepted Trump’s request to visit the restaurant because he wanted to showcase the transformative working experience that McDonald’s provides to its employees.
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