The Dark Underbelly of Online Reviews: Companies Pay Big Bucks to Keep You in the Dark

There's a whole black market for fake online reviews, folks! Some companies are shelling out big bucks to freelancers to scrub out bad reviews, while others are paying for glowing recommendations from online peeps, often located in South East Asia. These review writers are no amateurs either; some of them are raking in over $2,000 a month with their sophisticated operations.

The thing is, these reviews are no joke. They can get thousands of views each month and can seriously impact a company's rep. That's why some businesses are willing to cough up more than a hundred bucks just to get a bad review removed. And let's not forget about the lawsuits worth millions that some companies file to find out who the heck is complaining about them anonymously.

Fake reviews aren't that hard to come by. In fact, one freelancer was charging just $25 per review and was offering their services to five other companies at the same time, making a sweet $1,250 per month. And those fake reviewers know how to play the game too; they spread out their reviews and mix in a few cons to make them look more legit. So, next time you're checking out a product or a company, remember: things aren't always what they seem!

Rapid Rundown

• 🚨 The black market for fake online reviews is booming with companies paying big bucks to remove bad reviews and create positive ones.

• 💰 Review writers can earn over $2,000/month, and some businesses are willing to pay over $100 to remove a bad review.

India Dethrones China as World's Most Populous Nation

There's a new boss in town, and it's not some sleek startup that will revolutionize the world of fintech. It's India! That's right, for the first time in over three centuries, India has overtaken China to become the world's most populous nation, with a whopping 1.4 billion people. That's more than all of Africa, Europe, and the Americas combined. And if that's not impressive enough, over half of its population is under 30, so they'll be around to keep this title for a while.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and in India's case, that responsibility includes finding enough jobs for all those young people. The economy is growing, but not fast enough to keep up with the pace of population growth. Unemployment is on the rise, particularly among young people. To combat this, India is hoping to become a manufacturing superpower, but it's got a long way to go before it catches up to China. Even if India's economy grows by 10% yearly, it'll take them roughly 20 years to surpass China.

Rapid Rundown

• 💥 India is the world's most populous nation, overtaking China with over 1.4 billion people.

• 💼 Despite its economic growth, India's youth face unemployment, with jobs being created in limited sectors.

Technical Employees Affected in Meta’s Latest Round of Layoffs

Meta has started notifying technical employees that they have been laid off. This is part of a plan to lay off 10,000 employees in the second round of cuts since November. Affected employees were notified by email on Wednesday morning.

Lori Goler, Meta’s head of people, sent a memo to staff stating that it will be a difficult time as they say goodbye to friends and colleagues. This round of cuts will affect about 4,000 people working in technical roles across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Reality Labs.

Rapid Rundown

• 💼 Meta lays off 4,000 technical employees, as part of a plan to cut 10,000 jobs.

• 📧 Affected employees were notified by email on Wednesday morning.

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