December 8, 2024, 3:37 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Amazon had to temporarily disable reviews for Angela Merkel’s new book. The suspected reason is review bombing. But what exactly is that? TECHBOOK explains the internet phenomenon.
Recently, the autobiography of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, titled “Freedom,” was released. It provoked some harsh reactions, leading Amazon to temporarily allow only verified purchases to leave reviews. According to the “Bild,” the suspected cause was so-called review bombing. But what exactly is that? TECHBOOK explains the phenomenon, what it means, who is often behind it, and what consequences it can have.
Overview
What Review Bombing Means
Review bombing combines the English words “review” and “bombing” and refers to a significant increase in negative customer or user feedback for a specific product, business, or service online. This usually occurs visibly on well-known platforms with integrated review and/or comment functions over a short period.
Detailed explanations are generally not expected. The practice may manifest as numerous one-star ratings or thumbs-down reviews with little or no text.
It’s important to note that a surge of negative reviews alone does not constitute review bombing. Many individuals can independently be dissatisfied with something and express it honestly. However, review bombing often involves an intention to damage reputation or success.
Origin of the Term
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when and where review bombing first emerged. The history of the term itself is also not easy to trace. An early use is considered to be an article from the English-language tech site “Ars Technica” in 2008. In it, author Ben Kuchera wrote that “review bombing on Amazon is a particularly mean way” to make a point.
The specific example at the time involved negative reviews for the video game “Spore.” Players were disappointed en masse and let the developers know.
Who Does It and Why?
Kuchera also touched on another important point back then, mentioning that casual gamers might not be aware of “this campaign” and therefore might not read the specific content of the reviews. Instead of finding out why opinions are negative, they might simply assume the game is generally not good.
Review bombing can be a form of protest, trolling, or coercion. Particularly passionate fans or individuals with strong opinions who show strong emotional reactions can be responsible. But individuals with multiple accounts can also be behind it.
When unpopular changes occur, such as to a well-known brand, political or cultural controversies arise, or a company’s or person’s behavior is sharply criticized, review bombing can represent a boycott attempt. This can also be organized on relevant internet forums.
Examples of Review Bombing
The practice has been occurring in various areas for years. The entertainment industry, in particular, has been a frequent target, with its games, movies, and series repeatedly coming under fire. Below, we present some well-known examples.
Movies and Series
Many people often express their dissatisfaction with major cinema or streaming productions. For example, in 2023, “Cleopatra” was affected. The series set a Netflix negative record and was surrounded by heated controversies before and after its release due to the lead actress’s skin color.
The highly elaborate “The Lord of the Rings” series “The Rings of Power” by Amazon also received poor reviews and hate comments continuously–partly due to the casting. This led the cast of “The Rings of Power” to stand united against racism.
Video Games
Video and computer games also repeatedly face floods of negative reactions. This can affect both major and minor titles, and besides content aspects, technical issues are often a popular reason for complaints.
For instance, “Warcraft 3 Reforged” became the worst game in the world on Metacritic because gamers trashed it. Sometimes the wrong game can be targeted: In late 2023, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” from 2011 was hit by review bombing, just before the release of the new “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.” Apparently, many confused the two games.
Apps and Streaming
It’s not just about specific content–apps or streaming platforms themselves are not immune. In February of this year, Amazon’s Prime Video app ratings plummeted.
The reason was the introduction of new ads while simultaneously downgrading the technical scope of the offering. To avoid this, users now have to pay an additional fee of €2.99.
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Possible Reactions and Countermeasures
Review bombing forces those affected to take action. Websites have either restricted review options or temporarily disabled them entirely. After portal abuse, Rotten Tomatoes, for example, now only allows user reviews for movies after they have been released.
On the gaming platform Steam, a review timeline was introduced in 2017. This allows short spikes in poor reviews to be identified as review bombing, which are not very indicative of a title’s quality. This contrasts with games that are poorly received over a longer period.
Reverse Review Bombing
Less common, but still recurring, is reverse review bombing. Instead of negativity, fans and users shower a product or manufacturer with praise and love.
This can be used to support decisions positively received by the online community or to campaign for a cause, such as a canceled series. It can also occur as a direct response to negative review bombing.