Google introduced a change in its map application Google Maps recently. The update shows, whether businesses have been activate at getting low ratings removed from their Google Maps scores. The behavior seems to be widespread in Germany only, as Google introduced this new option only in Germany.
Whenever you open the profile page of a Google Maps business in Germany, Google reveals if the business had ratings removed from its listing. Google does not give you an exact count, but a range on the reviews tab. It is a useful indicator, as it tells you that the rating that Google Maps shows is likely not the true rating, if all customer ratings would be included.
Users who know are cautious when it comes to these businesses. While the information that Google displays is useful, it is bare bones. That is where the extension Echtstern comes into play.
It is an open source extension for Firefox and Chromium-based browsers. For Firefox, only an Android version appears to be available right now. For Chromium-based browsers, a desktop version is also provided.
The extension works automatically on Google Maps. Just look up a business and switch to the review tab. It displays the corrected score and information below the rating that Google displays.
If you prefer a web service, as it does not require installing an extension, then you could check out Review Proof. The service focuses on the different regions in Germany, but you can use a search to find out a specific restaurant or business.
In closing, both services are useful as they reveal which businesses have removed ratings from customers from Google Maps. However, it should be noted that there are legitimate reasons for removing ratings. While that is the case, a large number of removed ratings is more often than not a good indicator that the rating that Google shows on Maps does not reflect its true rating.
That’s not something I do a lot Martin, but thanks anyway.
It is spread in Germany because they have a law where somebody can be sued by a business for posting bad reviews and for hosting bad reviews. Google does not want to be sued. This is not the first time Google was messing with reviews. Infamous YouTube dislike removal was not because of advertisers’ pressure. It was because female creators were getting, on average, 50% more dislikes than men for the same topic videos. Whether they deserved it or not, I do not know, but Google got cold feet and removed dislikes.
Google Does Its Part–Advanced AI and human moderation remove 95M+ fake reviews annually.
It so much depends on the circumstance, but whether I am traveling [go where the locals go] or living in a location [word of mouth], I find reviews “tainted” for some odd reason–even the best. It might be the old adage “the medium is the message.”
Lying and fabrication have always been part of the human race. Anonymity appears as the international passport to misinformation, disinformation and, when applied to troubled minds, the gate to all phantasms, bitterness. frustrations.
I’ve ceased taking reviews seriously for some time now, unless they be thoroughly documented and argued explicitly.
Some reviewers are also paid, that’s no news. Whatever, how to determine the honesty of the reviewer? With evidence? What evidence? If a review is removed and, considering it’d be for valid reasons corroborated by factual evidence (in the best scenario) would that be censorship?
Complex it is. Hence, if I do not avoid reviews by what could be a radical state of mind (because there is seldom 100% trash in this world) I consider them with a great deal of caution.