cdmagurus.com
10-26-2013, 05:00 PM
Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission this week fined Korean conglomerate Samsung (http://www.techhive.com/article/2057720/taiwan-fines-samsung-for-defaming-htc-with-fabricated-reviews.html?tk=rel_news) $340,000 for "astroturfing."
Specifically, the Taiwanese FTC said Samsung paid two "marketing firms" (http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/24/5023658/samsung-fined-340000-for-posting-negative-htc-reviews) more than $100,000 to hire people to "highlight the shortcomings of competing products," engage in the "disinfection of negative news about Samsung products," positively review Samsung products and, (in a bizarre turn of phrase), do "palindromic Samsung product marketing," whatever that means.
Wait, what's 'astroturfing'?Samsung was fined for paying a "large number of hired writers and designated employees" to post comments in online forums praising Samsung and criticizing competitors.
Astroturf is a brand of fake grass; "astroturfing" is a reference to a fake "grass-roots" movement.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here (http://cdmagurus.com/article/2057939/weeding-out-fake-reviews-online-takes-care-incentive.html#jump)
More... (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2057939/weeding-out-fake-reviews-online-takes-care-incentive.html#tk.rss_all)
Specifically, the Taiwanese FTC said Samsung paid two "marketing firms" (http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/24/5023658/samsung-fined-340000-for-posting-negative-htc-reviews) more than $100,000 to hire people to "highlight the shortcomings of competing products," engage in the "disinfection of negative news about Samsung products," positively review Samsung products and, (in a bizarre turn of phrase), do "palindromic Samsung product marketing," whatever that means.
Wait, what's 'astroturfing'?Samsung was fined for paying a "large number of hired writers and designated employees" to post comments in online forums praising Samsung and criticizing competitors.
Astroturf is a brand of fake grass; "astroturfing" is a reference to a fake "grass-roots" movement.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here (http://cdmagurus.com/article/2057939/weeding-out-fake-reviews-online-takes-care-incentive.html#jump)
More... (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2057939/weeding-out-fake-reviews-online-takes-care-incentive.html#tk.rss_all)