IMDB, the popular online movie database and review site, has issued a warning to review bombers following a wave of negative 1-star reviews for Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake. The film faced backlash primarily due to the casting of Black actress Halle Bailey as the traditionally White character, Ariel. In response, IMDB has implemented measures to preserve the reliability of their rating system and detect unusual voting activity.

IMDB’s Warning Message And Approach

IMDB’s audience review section for The Little Mermaid now displays a disclaimer indicating the detection of unusual voting activity and the application of an alternate weighting calculation to maintain rating reliability. The warning is visible on several versions of the site and emphasizes that not all votes carry the same impact. While IMDB accepts and considers all user votes, they employ measures to counteract manipulative voting practices without disclosing the exact methodology.

Battling Review Bombing And Protecting Genuine Reviews

IMDB’s response to review bombing is part of a broader struggle faced by public review forums against internet trolls who target projects for various contentious reasons. The practice of review bombing has gained popularity in recent years, particularly against projects featuring women, LGBTQIA+ characters, or actors from diverse backgrounds. Platforms like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes have encountered challenges in distinguishing genuine reviews from those driven by personal agendas. As review aggregators like Metacritic have taken steps to address review bombing through stricter moderation, it is crucial for sites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes to follow suit and invest in measures to curb this detrimental practice. Failure to do so may compromise their credibility among fans seeking authentic evaluations.