Yubico Executive caught astroturfing on Amazon product review

5 points by pppp 11 years ago | 2 comments

The first comment for a new 2-factor authentication product on Amazon's website was posted immediately after the product was announced.

http://i.imgur.com/5u9Zr6v.jpg

The comment giver's name happens to be the same as the Chief Business Officer at Yubico:

https://www.yubico.com/about/team/

Not only does he not identify himself as an executive for the company, he misleads by saying "Received my U2F device today". Of course he received it, his company makes it.

Someone1234 11 years ago |

I'd be upset if he DIDN'T use his real name. By definition that isn't "astroturfing" since they made no attempt to hide or mask their true identity.

It would have been nice had they identified themselves as working for the company. However this is a very minor "crime" compared to some of the shenanigans that go on in Amazon's reviews.

pavel_lishin 11 years ago | |

But he didn't make it explicit, either. How many people reading that review would make the connection? I certainly wouldn't.