Mozilla is in the process of adding a fake review detection feature to the Firefox browser, removing the need to guess whether a review is genuine or not.
As MSpoweruser reports, the new Firefox feature is called "Review Checker" and it's based on Fakespot, which Mozilla acquired back in May. Fakespot is an add-on for Firefox and other browser and uses AI and machine learning to analyze product reviews and sellers as you shop across the major online stores.
Each seller is given a rating based on trustworthiness, and the user is provided with a list of adjusted star ratings and review highlights. Review grades are displayed, with A or B meaning a review is deemed reliable, a C rating is a mix of reliable and unreliable, while D and F ratings mean unreliable or "seek another opinion."
The first version of Firefox (version 120) with Fakespot built-in is expected to release in November for desktop and Android, and users will be able to trigger it to analyze a page by clicking the new price tag icon that appears to the right of the address bar. Initially, it will only work with Amazon, BestBuy, and Walmart. However, the add-on version also worked with eBay, Sephora, and Shopify websites, so support for those will likely be added in the near future.
It will be possible to turn Review Checker off in settings. However, for anyone worried about their privacy while using this new feature, you'll be happy to hear it's respected because Review Checker uses Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP), which prevents Mozilla from linking the products you are looking at to your device and ultimately you.
The most popular shopping sites are flooded with bogus reviews. Back in 2021 a database revealed over 200,000 people are involved in posting fake reviews on Amazon alone, and the FTC wants harsher penalties for anyone posting fake reviews. There are a number of tools to help you spot them, but Mozilla is making the process much simpler if you use its browser.
