Thread by @danielsrosehill

Here's a problem with consumer culture as it currently exists in #Israel that is very likely of little interest to anybody outside the country. But as a "person on the ground here" let me share a few thoughts.

Zap is a comparison engine that (as far as I can tell) automatically aggregates price offers from domestic suppliers. Like most Israeli websites - paradoxically - it looks straight out of the 1990s. A curious feature of most of Israel's tech effort being directed externally

Zap not only provides you with competing price offers on a product (say, the camcorder I just bought), but it also includes a review functionality where consumers can leave reviews on shops they purchased from.

Recently, I purchased a microphone for a client from Erlich, which is just about my favorite #camera and #video store in Tel Aviv. I went onto Zap to leave a favorable review. They won't publish it without proof of purchase (that - because this is Israel - includes my national ID

Why is Zap so on edge about publishing even a glowing testimonial? Israel has some of the most aggressive and consumer-unfriendly defamation laws anywhere on the planet. Here, truth is no defense. Here, there is no first amendment. Here, there are also plenty of lousy companies

The result? Everybody is terrified of breathing a bad word online about even patently terrible businesses. There are a series of frightening precedents that have had a chilling effect on even the bravest consumers - like the woman who got sued for complaining about her pizza

The more extreme result? A review engine needs proof of purchase (which likely includes CC info etc) before you can even leave a review up saying "I had a really great time buying here."

Until some kind of sane balance is struck, this is one of many reasons - alongside uncompetitive prices - why Israelis generally try to do as much purchasing abroad as they can. You don't have to deal with insanity like this!

@threadreaderapp unroll please