The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) today marked the 30th anniversary of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, signed into law in February 1996, a foundational law that helped enable the online consumer review systems now central to travel planning and booking.
For travelers, reviews have become a core decision-making tool — shaping how trips are researched, compared, and ultimately booked. Section 230 allows travel platforms and suppliers to host user-generated reviews while moderating content in good faith, supporting both consumer transparency and efforts to combat fraud and abuse.
“Online reviews are a core part of the infrastructure of travel commerce,” said Laura Chadwick, President & CEO of Travel Tech. “Section 230 helped create the framework that allows platforms and suppliers to host community-driven feedback while investing in moderation and trust tools that travelers depend on.”
Travel Tech members helped pioneer the use of user-generated content in the early 2000s, revolutionizing how travelers plan trips and explore the world. The ability to offer trusted, community-driven insights without legal exposure has allowed the travel industry to grow, innovate, and deliver better experiences to consumers.
Today, industry research shows how powerful that influence has become: Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index found that about three-quarters of travelers say they are willing to pay more for lodging with better reviews, rising to roughly 80% among travelers under 40.
As review volume has grown, travel platforms have expanded investments in trust and safety to protect review integrity. Tripadvisor, for example, has reported publishing more than one billion reviews and continues to use a combination of technology and human moderation to identify fraudulent content.
Reviews and Booking Behavior
Across the travel industry, consumer reviews enabled by Section 230 help travelers:
- Compare options with greater confidence
- Make faster, better-informed booking decisions
- Spot potentially misleading or unsafe listings
- Rely on peer insights alongside pricing and availability
“The travel industry works best when travelers trust the information they see,” Chadwick said. “Thirty years on, Section 230 remains an important part of the framework supporting transparency, consumer confidence, and healthy digital marketplaces.”
