Discussion Post
There is a concept related to social media called "astroturfing". Simply put...in the sports world AstroTurf is fake grass. In the world of business and politics, astroturfing is used to describe a business (or possibly political organization, etc.) that pays someone to pretend they are a customer and write positive reviews about the company's product on social media.......or ......negative reviews about a competitor's product.
For this discussion, what do you think about this practice? Is it just part of being competitive in today's global market where consumers want to see reviews before they buy? Is it ethical? If you owned a business would you consider doing this if you believed it would help your business? Should there be a law against astroturfing and companies fined or penalized if they engage in this behavior?