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Article on Ethics in Software Development

Fashion Nova's $4.2 Million Settlement over Suppressed Reviews

Fashion Nova, a well-known fast-fashion retailer, has agreed to a 4.2 million dollar settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding allegations of purposely suppressing negative customer reviews. According to the FTC, Fashion Nova used a review system that automatically marked four stars,or less, reviews as in need of review, which prevented hundreds of thousands of negative reviews from being published between 2015 and 2019. This case holds significant important because it was the FTC's first case about hiding negative customer feedback.

What Makes This Case Interesting

This case highlights critical ethical responsibilities in software systems, especially those handling influential information like reviews. Although the Internet has provided easier access to information to the public, it also risks information manipulation and discrimination.

This article is related to software development because it serves as a precedent to how our apps, tools, sites must be made with careful consideration since they are powerful tools that can be abused to negatively impact people in the real, physical world. It encourages further discussion about the unintended consequences of technologies and how to develop an honest and open digital environment.