While fake news has been widely covered in recent weeks, now the focus is on fake online reviews of retailers’ items, notes Grumpy Editor.
The Wall Street Journal points out “pressure is mounting on major retailers to fight back.”
The Journal notes Fakespot Inc., which identifies fraudulent reviews, says more than a third of online reviews on major websites, including Amazon and Walmart, are fake. Those reviews are generated by people paid to write them — or robots.
The Federal Trade Commission is starting to crack down on violators and lawmakers are pressing Amazon to do a better job of policing its website reviews.
Many people searching the web rely on reviews before buying products.
November-December online sales are expected to increase as much as 14 percent, according to the National Retail Federation.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…
FIRST MOVIE THEATER DESIGNED FOR TALKIES TO END RUN. At year’s end the Avalon, a classic 1,184-seat movie theater on California’s Santa Catalina Island will stop showing first-run films, ending a 90-year tradition. Built in 1929 as part of the iconic Catalina Casino, it is the first cinema in the world designed for talkies. Daily tours and special events such as Catalina Film Fest and Silent Film Benefit will continue.
BILL TO CURB ROBOCALLS. The House, by a 417-3 vote, approved a bill to curb robocalls in an effort to halt illegal marketing calls and scams. It is expected to be approved in the Senate and signed by President Trump.
FEMALE MARINE COMPLETES COMBAT TRAINING. Lance Cpl. Alexa Barth is the first female Marine to complete the Marine Corps’ rigorous reconnaissance training since the Pentagon lifted a ban on women in combat roles in January, 2013.
NORTH KOREA PLANS 'CHRISTMAS GIFT.' North Korea says it will send a "Christmas gift" to the United States, but what that means will depend on the outcome of ongoing talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
HEAVY TV VIEWING. On a day-to-day basis, the average adult watches TV for three-and-a-half hours, amounting to 1,248 hours each year, finds a survey commissioned by LG Electronics.
15 CHAIRS BALANCED ON CHIN. David Rush from Idaho appeared on TV to balance 15 chairs on his chin and recapture a Guinness World Record. Rush previously held the record with eight chairs.
CHINA HALTS U.S. NAVY VISITS TO HONG KONG. China is suspending U.S. Navy visits to Hong Kong in retaliation over President Trump’s decision to sign legislation that supported the city’s pro-democracy protesters.
EAT COFFEE CUPS WHILE FLYING. Air New Zealand is testing edible coffee cups in an effort to cut waste on board its airplanes. The cups are made from vanilla-flavoured biscotti. The airline serves more than eight million cups of coffee a year.
VETERAN MONEY WRITER RETIRES. Jane Bryant Quinn, writer of a money column in AARP Bulletin since 2010 is retiring. She and her husband plan to live in Rome for a year.
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