Protecting consumers and businesses from harmful or illegal content and fake reviews is vital for maintaining the integrity of our platform. All consumers can access our platform to read, write, and report reviews free of charge. Businesses can learn and improve by accessing our basic services for free, including the ability to read, respond, invite, and report reviews. When a review is flagged, we run it through detection software that looks at a variety of different data points related to the review and the reviewer. If a business or consumer disagrees with our decision, they can let us know, and our content integrity specialists will review the case. In addition, we have a ‘whistleblower’ function where anyone can report suspicious behaviour or content to us.
Easy setup and website is simple to follow, with training provided
Our Trust Report sets out the steps we are taking to ensure the businesses people engage with, and the reviews they read on Trustpilot, are authentic, useful, and worthy of their trust. From advancing our AI-powered detection systems to strengthening platform integrity, and shaping global standards for review transparency, we are actively building a more trustworthy digital future. This report outlines the principles, processes, and technologies used to safeguard and strengthen trust on our platform. Our work never stops as we evolve to navigate a rapidly changing world, especially as artificial intelligence reshapes how people engage with online content.
Protecting integrity: our guidelines and policies
Through our engagement with regulators, governments, and industry, including our founding role in the Coalition for Trusted Reviews, we are helping to shape and define the benchmark for trusted reviews. Our technology advances as we adopt new innovations and approaches leveraging AI. We have long used machine learning to moderate content, and in 2024, we began using generative AI to identify, at scale, policy violations. We believe AI can and must be used, in conjunction with humans, to enhance and improve trust, and we have been able to demonstrate that through more accurate decisions. Like any community, our platform works best when everyone understands their role and responsibilities. We have guidelines for both reviewers and businesses, and we communicate this in the Action We Take, which maintains a balance between openness and fairness.
Last year, that figure fell back to expected levels, which explains the year-on-year reduction. Trust is more important than ever before, and at Trustpilot, we believe reviews play a crucial role in bringing businesses and consumers closer together. We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Clear and easy to navigate to give that positive or negative review . Our vision is to become the universal symbol of trust — by empowering people to shop with confidence, and helping companies improve. In line with past years, the vast majority of fake reviews that are removed are positive.
First class web company review site
Total number of active reviews on Trustpilot as of December 2024. Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines. Trustpilot web site is easy to navigate and is devoid of irrelevant features. Companies on Trustpilot aren’t allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Share your experience on Trustpilot, where reviews make a difference.
When our guidelines are breached, we take action in line with our Action We Take policy. Our Content Integrity, Fraud & Investigations, and Legal Teams work collectively, as part of the Trust team, to safeguard the integrity of our platform. In 2024, we changed the structure of our teams to ensure improved coverage is in place to root out guideline violations and remove fake reviews.
- We detect many of these even before they’re posted on the platform, which reduces the chance of harmful or illegal content from appearing on the site.
- The benefit is that consumers have the freedom to share their experiences with businesses at any time, resulting in a broad and holistic range of feedback across any point in a consumer’s journey.
- This includes placing prominent notifications on business profile pages to inform the community we are investigating or have taken action against a business, including legal action.
- Companies on Trustpilot aren’t allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews.
- When a review is flagged, we run it through detection software that looks at a variety of different data points related to the review and the reviewer.
Reviews removed by reason
Our mission is to build trust between businesses and consumers by making Trustpilot visible at every consumer touchpoint, Trustpilot everywhere. We are constantly growing, and there are now +300 million active reviews on our platform, with 61 million written in 2024 alone. We created a trustworthy environment where consumers and businesses can connect with confidence. As part of this, we are continuously improving to maintain the integrity of our platform.
It aims to enhance transparency and trust in online reviews, ensuring consumers can make informed decisions based on authentic feedback. We engaged the UK pepperstone forex Government on this legislation over several years, meeting with ministers and officials, providing extensive input to ensure the law was as effective as possible. As a result, we believe the final law is well placed to deliver on its goal. Our fraud detection systems and automated software, which check for guideline breaches, play a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of our platform. Enhanced with AI and developed over many years, every review on our site is screened by this bespoke technology. It focuses on behavioural analysis as well as review content, using systems that analyse IP addresses, device characteristics, location data, and timestamps.
We define fake reviews as reviews which don’t reflect genuine service or buying experiences with a business. They’re often written in an attempt to mislead and manipulate what other consumers think about that business, either positively or negatively. The number of detected fake reviews removed as a proportion of the total amount submitted in 2024 was 7.4%, and in 2023 it was 6.1%. The increase demonstrates that our automated detection systems are improving and becoming increasingly more effective as a greater number of reviews are submitted every year. We work hard to ensure the integrity of our reviews and take a responsible approach to technology. We continuously invest in our platform’s privacy and security, and innovate to protect our users.
This is investigated, and we take action in accordance with our policies. The growing volume of reviews on our platform enables us to continually improve our processes, detect fake reviews more effectively, and improve integrity through our data. In 2024, more than 61 million reviews were written on Trustpilot for a 15% year-on-year increase.
- Like any community, our platform works best when everyone understands their role and responsibilities.
- Our automated technology screens flagged reviews to determine whether they should remain online, and our Content Integrity teams may get involved if a business or consumer challenges the decision.
- We take legal action against businesses that repeatedly post fake reviews or try to manipulate their TrustScore.
- This is investigated, and we take action in accordance with our policies.
- People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
- Reviews empower people to help others by guiding consumers to make more informed choices or equipping businesses to build trust, grow, and improve.
We champion verified reviews
We explain this next to each score and in detail in a Help Centre article. We are committed to being relevant and useful to consumers and businesses. We remain committed to placing trust at the centre of everything we do, for consumers, for businesses, and for society at large. We are supportive of the rule and look forward to continuing to work with the FTC in this space. Alongside powerful technology, our Content Integrity specialists and Fraud and Investigations team take action on complex issues. Supporting our unwavering commitment to trust and safety is Trustpilot’s wider team of lawyers, technology experts, and communications and training specialists.
In addition to our fraud detection systems, all reviews are screened by our automated technology to identify and remove any violations. We also allow consumers and businesses to flag reviews they think are suspicious. Anyone in our community, whether a business or consumer, can flag a review at any time if they think it breaches our guidelines. Our automated technology screens flagged reviews to determine whether they should remain online, and our Content Integrity teams may get involved if a business or consumer challenges the decision.
Consumer writes a review
Reviews empower people to help others by guiding consumers to make more informed choices or equipping businesses to build trust, grow, and improve. We believe everyone deserves a voice on Trustpilot, which is why consumers decide which businesses are reviewed. We take legal action against businesses that repeatedly post fake reviews or try to manipulate their TrustScore.