Welcome to Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

In our very first episode, we tackle the fake review economy: how online reviews got corrupted and if we can ever trust them again. Our guest is Joseph Reagle, an associate professor at Northeastern University and the author of several books, including Reading the Comments. He recently posted a positive review of a dog raincoat on Temu.

Also, Vass and Katrina talk about what it’s like to find your own name on a review for a rug you never bought!

Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad.

The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany.

Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

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Find a copy of this episode's transcript here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.