Google deleted negative reviews of the Robinhood stock trading app after a reaction against the company’s decision on Thursday to block users from buying or trading stocks that were popular on a Reddit sub-forum.
There was an influx of negative ratings from the app on the Google Play Store after Reddit users pushed for campaigns to leave one-star ratings on the app’s decision to ban trading in stocks that were popularized on the r / WallStreetBets forum. The application limited the purchase or trading of shares, including GameStop, AMC and BlackBerry.
Google removed at least 100,000 negative comments about the app from its Play Store, The Verge and Gizmodo reported.
A Google spokesman confirmed to The Hill that the company has taken action in relation to comments deemed untrue or in violation of company policy.
Google’s policies prohibit “false ratings” that aim to “manipulate an app’s average rating or top ratings” Similarly, developers are not allowed to remove ratings or attempt to influence their rating by increasing it with ratings of five stars.
Comments that don’t follow Google’s policies are subject to being removed from the Google Play Store.
As of Friday afternoon, Robinhood’s rating on the Google Play Store was three and a half stars in total. A Google spokesman noted that there were still one star ratings left.
In at least one star review The Hill identified on Friday, a user regretted removing Google reviews.
“Ok Google. Continue deleting comments. I will continue retyping ”, wrote the user.
At Apple’s App Store, Robinhood had almost a full five-star rating on Friday afternoon. But most recent ratings were one-star ratings and criticized the company for its decision to block trading in the shares that gained popularity through the Reddit forum.
The negative review campaign is not the only action that users are taking against Robinhood, however.
A class action lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, almost immediately after Robinhood restricted the trading of some shares. The lawsuit alleges that the app “deliberately, intentionally and knowingly removing the ‘GME’ stock [GameStop] of its trading platform amid an unprecedented stock increase, thus depriving retail investors of the ability to invest in the open market and manipulate the open market. ”
Robinhood is also facing criticism from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and the next chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Campbell Brown New York Attorney General ‘actively reviewing’ Robinhood’s activity Lawmakers violate Robinhood’s decision on GameStop Hillicon Valley: Robinhood restricts trade in companies targeted by Reddit users | Facebook reverses some decisions about removed posts | Lawmakers introduce bill to massively increase postal voting MORE (D-Ohio) said a hearing would be held on the state of the stock market amid concern over Robinhood’s shares.