Reviews in the dark: A netnographic exploration of reviewer networks and the dynamics of online review manipulation

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of online communities and networks used for recruitment and engagement in online review manipulation. We used netnography to examine how online communities on social media manipulate algorithmic processes, within the constraints of time and quality and despite the threat of censure, for monetary and psychological advantage. Drawing on immersive observations and in-depth interviews with group administrators, we explore how these reviewers constitute a form of passionate public: informal, self-organized actors who perceive their actions as advocacy on behalf of consumers and small businesses. These group administrators, themselves super contributors and opinion leaders in review manipulation networks, not only corroborated previous findings but also provided context for factors leading to covert review manipulation. Moreover, these interviews suggested that reviewers involved in manipulation perceived their actions, like other passionate publics, as beneficial to consumers and businesses. Findings suggest that they engaged in deceptive practices under the guise of contributing to the greater good.