Delivery apps’ obsessions with star ratings is ruining lives

In a dispatch from Seoul for Rest of World, Max Kim discusses the power of star ratings in South Korea’s booming food delivery industry.

In South Korea, where mainstream e-commerce revenue recently overtook offline retail, star ratings have quickly assumed huge authority, business owners and experts say. … [M]erchants say that a single subpar review is enough to depress business for days. The dire phrase “star rating terrorism” has entered everyday use. A flood of legislation has been proposed to curb the influence of platforms, including review systems.

Submitted by jboy