The news: Fake and misleading online reviews are changing how consumers shop and trust brands online, per a report conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the Coalition for Trusted Reviews (CfTR).

• About 8 in 10 adults in the UK, the US, and Italy consider online reviews at least some of the time when making purchase decisions.
• However, 74% of those in the UK, 73% in the US, and 61% in Italy have walked away from a purchase because they thought the reviews might be fake or deceptive.

Meanwhile, AI is adding a new layer of doubt, and identity verification—a fix CfTR proposed—is running into resistance.

• 70% of UK adults said they would trust reviews written by or with AI less, compared with 58% in Italy and 51% in the US.
• But 56% of UK consumers, 46% of US consumers, and 43% of Italian consumers say mandating ID uploads would make them less likely to leave a review.

CfTR was formed by Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia Group, G2, Holidaycheck, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot to define best practices for hosting reviews and detecting fraud.

What it means: Customer reviews are central to purchase decisions, but reliance comes with skepticism.

• Verifying reviewers’ identity trades one problem for another—it could cut out fake content but also shrink volume, which risks reducing the social proof that drives conversions.
• Inaction lets fraud and AI content erode credibility. Pressure to disclose AI involvement in reviews could grow given how low trust is in AI-assisted content, and AI regulations could be on the horizon.

Recommendations for retailers: Prioritizing quality over quantity is key—a smaller selection of reviews from logged-in consumers with verified purchase badges, as well as site tools that can detect and label any AI-generated content, will be more trusted than an army of anonymous, vague, or AI-washed responses.

• Reviews will be more useful when product details, like size and color purchased, are included. Retailers can autopopulate reviews with this information for verified customers, adding depth to the information available without requiring effort from customers.
• Offer quick ways for customers to add zero-party data on sizing, such as sliders or tickable boxes. This information can also be used to inform product development and marketing efforts.

Don’t impose limits on review behavior, such as fixed time windows around purchases, which may reduce the amount of genuine customer feedback that can be gathered. And finally, easy return and exchange policies can reassure shoppers who are on the fence by reducing any perceived risk of buying.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.