Major online firms, including Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia, and Tripadvisor, have come together to form a coalition called the Coalition for Trusted Reviews to combat fake reviews. The group also includes workplace review site Glassdoor and review platform Trustpilot. Their aim is to share information on deterring fraudsters who use chatbot-like AI systems to write bogus online reviews for profit. The increasing power of AI has raised concerns about an arms race between fake review fraudsters and retailers.
A recent government report found that fake reviews of products alone could cost UK consumers around £312m each year. Up to 15% of all reviews on e-commerce platforms in certain product categories were likely to be fake. To tackle this issue, the government plans to use a new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill to combat the buying, selling, or hosting of fake reviews. Similarly, the Federal Trade Commission in the US is proposing similar action.
The Coalition for Trusted Reviews will fight against fake reviews by agreeing on industry-wide standards for identifying them, sharing best practices for hosting and moderating online reviews, and exchanging intelligence on companies selling fake reviews and businesses trying to use them to boost their reputations. By collaborating and sharing information, the group aims to effectively shut down fraudulent review activities, deter bad actors, and protect consumers. Travel booking site Tripadvisor, for example, identified 1.3 million fake reviews on its platform in 2022 and emphasized the importance of robust cooperation in combating fake review writers operating outside legal frameworks.
