The Journal for Information Professionals
Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems (APJIS), a Scopus and ABDC indexed journal, is a
flagship journal of the information systems (IS) field in the Asia Pacific region.
ISSN 2288-5404 (Print) / ISSN 2288-6818 (Online)
Editor : Youngsok Bang
Share this page
Current Issue
| Date | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Vol. No. | Vol. 36 No. 3 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2026.36.3.494 |
| Page | 494~533 |
| Title | Platform Governance and User Behavior: The Impact of Metacritic’s Anti-Review-Bombing Policy |
| Author | Pattharin Tangwaragorn, Guangrui (Kayla) Li, Zike Cao, Warut Khern-am-nuai |
| Keyword | Online Reviews, Metacritic, Platform Governance, Review Evaluation, Anti-Review Bombing |
| Abstract | Online review platforms play a critical role in shaping consumer decisions but are vulnerable to review bombing, coordinated users distort product ratings for non-quality-related reasons. To mitigate this, Metacritic introduced a 36-hour waiting period before users could post reviews for newly released products. This paper investigates the impact of this anti-review-bombing intervention on users’ behavioral responses. Using a panel dataset of over 3,000 products released within nine months before and after the policy intervention, we conduct an empirical analysis and find that the review volume significantly increases after the policy is implemented. More importantly, the average user ratings significantly decreases, suggesting a shift toward more negative sentiment. Our robustness tests, including propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID), generate qualitatively similar results. These findings highlight the trade-offs between timely participation and user sentiment in platform governance. The study provides empirical evidence on the complex dynamics of anti-review-bombing measures, offering insights for platform designers and policymakers concerned with digital trust and user engagement. |
Home l Site Map l Abstracting/Indexing l FAQ l Publisher l Contact Us l Admin Login
© 2013 The Korean Society of Management Information Systems. All rights reserved.