Shoppers today have more choice than any prior generation, all at their fingertips. Type a size and style, and thousands of results appear in seconds—a far cry from walking into a store with a curated inventory. To help shoppers sort through the search results, Google and shopping websites put product reviews front and center.
A dishwasher that earns a three-star rating averaged by 781 reviews is shown next to those that earn five stars based on three reviews. Consumer survey data from Kinsta found that more than 70 percent of shoppers have suspected a product review was fake or AI-generated. That skepticism exists even as the star rating, review count and comment stream keep signaling trust the way they always have.
While shoppers may doubt what they’re reading, they often buy anyway. Star Kashman, founding partner at Cyber Law Firm, warns consumers to be more choosy about which reviews to trust. Understanding the prevalence of fake or bought reviews matters, too.
Beyond the odd AI-generated post, some retailers may be actively misleading buyers with an avalanche of fake reviews. Rebecca Wang, associate professor of marketing at Lehigh University, names the risk hiding in plain sight. While some platforms list reviews chronologically, others use algorithms based on shoppers’ search and viewing history.
Kashman advises, slow down before hitting “buy.” “Shoppers should not blindly trust online reviews,” Kashman said. Believe the reviews, but pay attention to the context.” Newsweek's Most Trustworthy Companies 2026 ranking reveals the companies that have earned confidence from key audience. The ranking was developed in partnership with Statista.
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