TripAdvisor has added badges to hotel listings that have had sexual assaults reported in reviews after the website received criticism for removing reviews that violated its policies.
The badges have a message stating "TripAdvisor has been made aware of recent media reports or events concerning this property which may not be reflected in reviews found on this listing." They will stay on the page for at least three months and could remain longer if reports persist and are not resolved, the BBC reported.
Badges are meant to label health, discrimination, and safety issues, not just sexual assault, but were used as an option after TripAdvisor removed some reviews that detailed assaults at hotels because they violated family friendly policies or other guidelines.
TripAdvisor apologized to those whose reviews were removed and said it would “be more clear about the reasons the review doesn’t meet guidelines and what part of it is in violation” if it removed reviews in the future, the BBC reported.
Three hotel resorts in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen region were flagged Wednesday.
TripAdvisor spokesman Kevin Carter said the site would not remove hotels and resorts that have numerous or frequent complaints.
“We want consumers to see good and bad reviews of businesses,” Carter said, Business Insider reported.
More than 400 million people browse the TripAdvisor website every month, according to CBS News.
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