Firefox to Launch AI-Powered Fake Comment Detector

If you have ever browsed the comments of an online product, you may have doubted whether you can trust certain reviews. Firefox hopes to give you more certainty when shopping, thanks to its built-in review checker.

As early as May, Mozilla acquired Fakespot, a company specialized in detecting fake online reviews. The Fakespot browser extension currently operates on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, assigning grades from A to F to each product.

An A grade means that all reviews are reliable, while a B grade means that most reviews are trustworthy. C means that the quality of reviews is mixed, while D and F mean that reviews are generally unreliable.

It is worth noting that a low rating does not necessarily mean that the product or service is bad, only that the reviews are untrustworthy. Fakespot does not point out specific reviews it deems fake—it simply gives an overall score for the product. The lower the score, the more likely the reviews are not genuine.

Now, this feature is being built into Firefox. The company states that the new feature is currently being tested and should be officially launched before November. Initially, it will operate on Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, gradually expanding to more websites.

How does Fakespot work? The company states that it is all thanks to artificial intelligence. It uses multiple data points and runs multiple tests to determine the authenticity of reviews. Fakespot does not actually disclose specific information about its algorithm to prevent users from manipulating reviews; its judgment is based on whether the reviews are left by genuine customers.

This is crucial for online shoppers because Google analyzes reviews when recommending products and pushes what it deems better products to the top of search results for certain keywords. Naturally, this often leads to companies manipulating reviews to gain more attention.

Is this really a problem? Mozilla says, "Certainly." According to recent research, over 80% of shoppers have encountered fake reviews online. If you narrow the age range to 18 to 34, this number jumps to 92%.

Now, you can download the Fakespot browser extension and get the same functionality.