WTF. I'm not sure why you think someone saying "I was sexually assaulted at this resort" is somehow against that section of the policy.

> Any reviews that describe reviewer participation in illegal activities ... will be removed.

As bleak a reading of that clause that this is, you can say if you are the victim of an assault you were a participant in that event participant (albeit an unwilling one), and the review must be removed.

You may not like it - but thats how TripAdvisor has always interpreted the policy. Specifically, sexual assaults have always been considered not family friendly. They are removed from the site and referred directly to the hotel for investigation. (disclosure: I worked there from 2010-2013, including a short rotation in the content moderation arm that makes these calls)

My broader point was simply that this isn't a new interpretation of this policy, they've been doing this for years.

I think it is a story, because most people, having never worked for TripAdvisor, would find it surprising.

It's not a non-story, in the context of the general population. It's part of that population learning that "social media lie" -- even when, perhaps even especially when, the lie is one of omission.

And as to whether comments on a commercial site constitute "social media"? Again, average users don't make that distinction. And the major "social" media" sites are all commercial sites, even if their business model is somewhat different.