Fair question! Obviously, “fair” can be a subjective term – what one person thinks is fair, another may think is totally unreasonable. Luckily we don’t need to try and figure out a common ground, because in this context, “fair” is actually determined by the platforms and more specifically by their content policies. In their view, if the review passes those policies then it is deemed “fair”. If it does not, it is deemed “unfair” and subject to removal. Everyone using the platforms has agreed to abide by the policies, so the idea of “fair” – in this context – is actually that simple.
Keep in mind that many business owners will still feel that this system is grossly unfair to them. In the majority of cases, reviews are allowed to be posted and inflict damage to a business, before they can be challenged and potentially removed. Serious accusations can be made publicly without evidence; businesses can suffer enormously from an event that never really happened, or that has been exaggerated, misrepresented, misunderstood, or in some other form of attack with an ulterior motive. Consumers can certainly fight for their right to post a “fair” review, but they should also keep in mind that it is only the business owners who ever suffer when an unfair review is posted. A consumer can post dozens of unfair reviews and generally walk away unscathed (unless a business pursues legal action for defamation) while businesses lose thousands in revenue, or worse. Our services give those business owners the ability to fight back against some of those unfair attacks – but consumers still clearly have the “upper hand”.