Google Details its Moderation Polices for Google Maps Reviews

In an effort to keep irrelevant and offensive comments off of Google Business Profiles, Google has today detailed its new content moderation policies that make sure reviews are based on real-world experiences.

“As the world evolves, so do our policies and protections,” notes Google, adding that as soon as someone posts a review, it is sent to the company’s moderation system to make sure the review doesn’t violate any of Google’s policies. 

“Given the volume of reviews we regularly receive, we’ve found that we need both the nuanced understanding that humans offer and the scale that machines provide to help us moderate contributed content.”

Google’s machines look at reviews from multiple angles, such as:

• The content of the review: Does it contain offensive or off-topic content?
• The account that left the review: Does the Google account have any history of suspicious behavior?
• The place itself: Has there been uncharacteristic activity — such as an abundance of reviews over a short period of time? Has it recently gotten attention in the news or on social media that would motivate people to leave fraudulent reviews?

If Google’s systems detect no policy violations, then the review can post within a matter of seconds. If you think you see a policy-violating review on Google, you can report it at this link.