Mozilla is testing a new built-in "review checker" feature for its Firefox browser that evaluates the reliability of a product's customer reviews. The experimental feature is being tested "with a limited audience in the United States."
Fake reviews are a big problem for online retailers, who have to take increasingly aggressive measures to stop malicious actors from using them to boost product ratings. Amazon has previously removed tens of thousands of reviews deemed fraudulent and even taken legal action against individuals who coordinated fake reviews through Facebook groups. Britain's antitrust regulator even launched a formal investigation into the issue two years ago.
Firefox's comment checker is now gearing up to give users the tools to weed out unreliable comments. A screenshot posted by MSPowerUser shows how to access the tool via the price tag icon in the browser's URL bar, which pops up a sidebar with details of the currently open product page. The tool scores product reviews based on their trustworthiness, provides an "adjusted rating" of five stars, removes "unreliable reviews," and extracts some highlights from existing reviews.
The ReviewChecker feature is powered by technology from Fakespot, a company Mozilla acquired earlier this year. When Mozilla announced the acquisition, it said it "uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems to detect patterns and similarities between reviews to flag those most likely to be deceptive." It plans to integrate the technology into its browser "to give Firefox customers the best possible ability to eliminate deceptive reviews."
Fakespot already offers review checking through its website, extensions for browsers like Chrome and Safari, and apps for iOS and Android. When Mozilla announced the acquisition, it said Fakespot would continue to "run on all major web browsers and mobile devices." But offering it as a built-in feature of Firefox could be a huge promotional boon for Fakespot and draw the attention of more users.
Mozilla's Jourdan said that while the feature is currently being tested, the company has yet to announce an official release date for the feature. "We will continue to test and see if this is one of the ways we can help improve people's online experience," he said in a statement.