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 marked by a record 54 million reviews published on the platform, representing a 17% increase from 2022.

In 2023, Trustpilot removed 3.3 million fake reviews, consistent with the previous year’s 6% removal rate despite the surge in total reviews. The majority of these fake reviews, 82%, were detected by Trustpilot’s sophisticated automated detection technology, an increase from 68% in 2022. This advancement is attributed to Trustpilot’s continued investment in AI and other technologies designed to identify unusual behavioural patterns and anomalies, analysing hundreds of data points to ensure the authenticity of reviews.

Trustpilot’s active community of reviewers and businesses plays a crucial role in maintaining the platform’s integrity. Both parties can flag suspicious reviews for moderator evaluation, and a whistleblower functionality is available for confidential reporting of issues.

Anoop Joshi, Trustpilot’s Chief Trust Officer, emphasised the importance of these efforts: “It’s essential that we keep on proactively fighting fake reviews and defending genuine ones through investment in our bespoke technology and specialist teams. Our vision is to be the universal symbol of trust for businesses and consumers alike, and in a world where misinformation is rife, that’s never been more important.”

In addition to technological measures, Trustpilot has increased its consumer protection actions. The platform issued nearly 7,000 public warnings on company profiles for violating guidelines, more than doubling the previous year’s figure, and issued 46,000 warnings to businesses. Furthermore, Trustpilot has taken legal action against ten businesses over the past two years, with all damages from successful cases donated to consumer rights charities like Citizens Advice in the UK.

The platform also showed zero tolerance for misuse 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 measures in 2023 underscore its commitment to providing a trustworthy environment for consumers and businesses alike, helping users make informed decisions based on reliable reviews.