even though if you say a platform “Democratizing finance for everyone,” Robinhood doesn’t seem to actually want to help the masses. On Thursday, the app blocked users from trading stocks that were soaring in the financial bubble created by the r / WallStreetBets. Users, of course, were not happy, and began a review bombing campaign against Robinhood in app stores. In the end, the app had to be saved by Google.
On Thursday, without giving much explanation, the app blocked its users from buying shares in GameStop, AMC Cinemas and other companies that gained momentum through the app. Reddit. As a result, Robinhood, which previously had an overall rating of 4,3 stars, received a tsunami of negative reviews, and ended up with a 1-star rating within hours.
But by Friday morning, nearly 100 of those negative reviews and comments had been deleted from Google Play, restoring the app’s 4+ star rating. According to Google, they deleted these review bombing reviews because they appeared to be “coordinated and inorganic.” That’s a tough excuse to swallow, considering that users had a valid reason to pull down the app’s rating after the stock blocking fiasco, which undermined its core premise. But according to Android Authority, Google can point out several posts on Reddit to claim that it was a coordinated attack.
In the sights of the internet and the American government
Just yesterday, US Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went to Twitter calling Robinhood’s action “unacceptable,” and calling for a hearing of the app company with the Financial Services Committee.
Now, many users are returning to the Play Store to rewrite their negative reviews and have their voices heard. In addition to review bombing, Robinhood will soon face a collective action open in New York. According to the lawsuit document: “Robinhood purposefully, intentionally and knowingly removed shares from its platform in the midst of an unprecedented stock rally, depriving investors of the ability to trade in the open market.”
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