Trustpilot, the global consumer review platform, has released its latest Transparency Report, highlighting its ongoing efforts to maintain trust between businesses and consumers.
The report comes in a year that saw a record 54 million reviews published on the platform, representing a 17% increase from 2022.
In 2023, Trustpilot removed 3.3 million fake reviews, which is consistent with the 6% removal rate the previous year despite a significant rise in overall reviews. The majority of these fake reviews, 82%, were detected by Trustpilot's advanced automated detection technology, which is an increase from 68% in 2022. This progress is due to Trustpilot's continued investment in artificial intelligence and other technologies designed to identify and analyze unusual behavioral patterns and anomalies. Hundreds of data points to validate reviews.
Trustpilot's active community of reviewers and businesses plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the platform. Both parties can report suspicious reviews for evaluation by a moderator, and a whistleblowing function is available for confidential reporting of issues.
Anup Joshi, Chief Trust Officer at Trustpilot, emphasized the importance of these efforts: “It is imperative that we continue to proactively combat fake reviews and stand up for genuine reviews by investing in our dedicated technology and dedicated teams. Our vision is to be a global symbol of trust for businesses and consumers.” Both in a world where misinformation is rampant, this is more important than ever.
In addition to technological measures, Trustpilot has increased consumer protection measures. The platform issued nearly 7,000 public warnings on companies' profiles for violating the guidelines, more than double the previous year's number, and issued 46,000 warnings to companies. Furthermore, Trustpilot has taken legal action against ten companies over the past two years, with all damages from successful cases donated to consumer rights charities such as Citizens Advice in the UK.
The platform has also shown zero tolerance for abuse by reviewers, suspending or blocking access to 575,000 consumer accounts in 2023 for repeatedly violating guidelines, including posting fake reviews or threatening businesses.
Trustpilot's proactive actions in 2023 underscore its commitment to providing a trustworthy environment for consumers and businesses alike, helping users make informed decisions based on trusted reviews.