Singapore’s crackdown on fake reviews exposes business of buying ‘social proof’

Singapore has launched its largest crackdown to date on fake online reviews, exposing a widespread commercial market where businesses purchase five-star ratings and artificial "social proof" to manipulate consumer decision-making systems.

Industry experts warn that the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence technologies threatens to make the creation and dissemination of fake online reviews significantly more rampant, increasing the reliance on consumer vigilance.