Review Guru only works if readers trust the reviews are real. This page explains what we do — technically, editorially, and legally — to keep the signal clean.
The layers of moderation
- Pre-publish AI screen. Every new review is checked by OpenAI moderation for hate speech, personal information, violence, and spam patterns. Clean submissions publish immediately; flagged ones go to human review first.
- Human moderation queue. Every flagged submission, and every user-reported review, is reviewed by a human moderator. We document the decision.
- Reporter-flagged community moderation. Any reader can report a review that violates our Content policy. Owners can flag reviews they believe are fake; we look at every one and don't default to the business's side.
- Pattern detection. Coordinated posting (same account across businesses, same IP across accounts, impossible timing, fake device fingerprints) is detected automatically and those accounts lose posting privileges pending review.
- Audit log. Every moderation decision is logged with the actor, time, reason, and action taken. Logs are retained for 2 years.
What we will never do
- Delete honest negative reviews at a business's request.
- Bury unclaimed competitors to favour paid customers.
- Accept money from businesses to change their ranking. Paid placements, when we launch them, will be clearly labelled “Sponsored” and will not affect organic rankings.
- Sell personal data. See our Privacy policy.
- Share review text with AI training programs without user consent (users opt in via account settings).
How imported reviews work
To bootstrap the platform, we imported publicly visible reviews from Google Maps for businesses we listed. These are:
- Rewritten for clarity by an AI with strict semantic-faithfulness rules — original meaning preserved, different phrasing. The original text is kept server-side for audit but never displayed.
- Attributed to the original Google reviewerusing first name + last initial (“Saman P.”). This matches what Yelp and TripAdvisor do.
- Labelled explicitlyon every imported review with “Imported from Google” so readers always know the source.
- Marked in our database as
source=googleso we can remove them in bulk if a legal or editorial decision requires.
If you are the original reviewer and want your review removed or un-imported, email privacy@reviewguru.lkwith the business name and a description — we'll remove it within 72 hours.
Enforcement actions
- Warning. First violation, typically for minor policy breaches.
- Review removal. Obvious violations (personal info, off-topic rants, fake reviews).
- Account suspension. Repeat violations or serious single violations (threats, solicitation).
- Permanent ban. Coordinated fraud, harassment, legal liability.
- Law-enforcement cooperation. For threats to safety or lawful subpoena; we document and minimise disclosure.
Appeal process
If your review was removed or your account was suspended and you believe we made the wrong call, email appeals@reviewguru.lk with the URL or account email and your reasoning. We re-review within 5 business days. Appeals are handled by a different moderator than the original decision-maker.
Reporting concerns
If you see a review that breaks our rules, click “Report” on the review. If something more urgent is going on — impersonation of a real person, posting of non-consensual private info, threats — email urgent@reviewguru.lkand we'll escalate within 24 hours.
Operator disclosure
Review Guruis operated by Kapruka Holdings PLC, which is also a listed business on this platform. Kapruka's listing follows the same review policies as every other business — no editorial preference. If you see anything that looks like favouritism, email concerns@reviewguru.lk; we'll investigate and publish the outcome.