An internet regulatory group called the Cloud Industry Forum is claiming that around 400 UK and US hotels and restaurants have reported being unhappy with TripAdvisor and are considering a group defamation action.
The group says “false” and “unfair” reviews written by anonymous writers without proof is not acceptable and damages innocent suppliers.
Chairman Andy Burton said: “TripAdvisor is undeniably one of the most successful online travel websites and has illustrated how the internet can be used effectively as a strategic business model.
“On the other hand, this is one of the first public battles against a company based online and automatically sends a warning signal to those who may be open to defamatory claims, and particularly where the accusation is that some of the information published on the site by anonymous third parties is untrue and misleading.”
