Google removed at least 100,000 negative reviews of the stock trading app Robinhood from the Google Play app store after angry users sent a flood of critical reviews that caused the apps rating to plummet on Thursday. The apps rating went from roughly four stars out of five on Wednesday to just one star on Thursday. Robinhood users were understandably upset after the company halted purchases of GameStops stock and other stocks promoted by Reddits WallStreetBets community.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the tech giant has deleted the reviews and defended the move overnight, telling Gizmodo over email that it has rules against coordinated or inorganic reviews. Gizmodo asked how negative reviews could be deemed inorganic when people seem reasonably upset about Robinhoods actions in recent days. Google stopped responding to Gizmodos emails after that inquiry.
Robinhoods rating on the Google Play app store has rebounded to over four stars since Google deleted the negative reviews. The app also has a 4.7 rating on Apples app store, though its not clear what kind of moderation Apple has done of its reviews for Robinhood this week.
There are still questions about what actually led Robinhood to halt purchases of stocks picked by Reddits WallStreetBets on Thursdaystocks that include not just GameStop but Nokia, Blackberry, and AMC Theaters, among others. An early theory was that hedge funds which had shorted the stocks had leaned on Robinhood to halt trading, but an alternate theory emerged that Robinhood simply didnt have the cash flow to continue processing so many stock purchases.
The latter theory seems to have been bolstered by a new report early Friday from the New York Times claiming Robinhood has raised roughly $1 billion from existing investors like Sequoia Capital and Ribbit Capital. Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev denied the company was having liquidity problems on CNBC yesterday, but that doesnt mean it wasnt anticipating liquidity problems in the very near future.
Robinhood users angry with the companys decision to halt purchases of GameStop filed a class action lawsuit on Thursday, a move that would seem to give credence to the idea that a negative app rating on Google Play isnt necessarily inorganic.
Its been a turbulent week on the stock market, as activist retail investors on Reddit have shown the entire system to be a scam in favor of the wealthy. But no one knows where that will leave U.S. financial markets in the coming days and weeks.
Most Americans know in their heart of hearts that the game is rigged. But this weeks actions by activist investors on Reddit have really made the rules plain for the entire world to see. The wealthy will not tolerate average people making money while they suffer.
how is it inorganic? what shitWithout carbon
how is it inorganic? what shitThis. This isnt a situation of review bombing, these people have a legit complaint with the app
Gizmodo asked how negative reviews could be deemed inorganic when people seem reasonably upset about Robinhoods actions in recent days. Google stopped responding to Gizmodos emails after that inquiry.
Fuck GoogleJust further vindicates my decision to migrate from gmail to proton
Without carbonalien reviews!
This. This isnt a situation of review bombing, these people have a legit complaint with the appexactly.
Is this good or bad?I'd say it's bad that a corporation with as much control as Google is refusing to let people give bad reviews to a financial app that blatantly tried to manipulate the stock market to benefit billionaire hedge funds and screw over small investors
A Google spokesperson confirmed the tech giant has deleted the reviews and defended the move overnight, telling Gizmodo over email that it has rules against coordinated or inorganic reviews. Gizmodo asked how negative reviews could be deemed inorganic when people seem reasonably upset about Robinhoods actions in recent days. Google stopped responding to Gizmodos emails after that inquiry.Uh huh. Fuck those guys
I saw this yesterday, my review still seems to be up but is there a way to confirm? When I go to the page it does show it :\
This. This isnt a situation of review bombing, these people have a legit complaint with the app