TripAdvisor says reviews reporting rape not censored

BOSTON (AP) - TripAdvisor says it has changed its rules about reviews that contain allegations of rape or other crimes, following a published report that quoted several users who said such postings were deleted.

Several people told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel they were sexually assaulted at Mexican hotels and resorts, sometimes years ago, but the online reviews that mentioned the crimes were taken down.

The Massachusetts company said Thursday they were removed at the time because they were found to be in violation of policy. Those policies were changed a few years ago and at least one review was reposted.

The company says the information is critical for travelers. It plans to institute a system to flag businesses where serious safety issues were reported.

The company denied taking posts down because it would hurt revenue.