17/12/2025

WEDNESDAY | DEC 17, 2025

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COMMENT by Ryuji Wolf

Fake reviews threaten digital trust A S AI overwhelms online spaces, proof of human is becoming essential for trust. Before many getting hit just as hard. Recently, a small

business owner was threatened by scammers who spammed her Google Maps listing with fake reviews and demanded payment to remove them. Authentic feedback gets buried, manipulated ratings rise to the top and honest sellers lose customers who can no longer tell what is genuine. When the credibility of reviews collapses, both sides lose – the buyer who feels deceived and the seller whose reputation becomes collateral damage. Losing battle for businesses The core problem is that today’s verification systems were built for a different internet. Email sign-ups, phone verification and simple CAPTCHAs worked when bots were basic and account creation was slow. However, that assumption no longer holds. Bots now bypass CAPTCHA with near-perfect accuracy, AI tools can generate convincing identities in seconds and paid groups can produce hundreds of coordinated accounts with minimal effort. The result is an arms race that platforms are consistently losing. Platforms conduct frequent sweeps to remove fake reviews, yet they still struggle to keep pace. The gap widens each time synthetic accounts slip through because every fake review that survives chips away at the credibility of the entire platform. Over time, people stop trusting five-star ratings, question popular recommendations and become sceptical of even genuine feedback. Without a reliable way to confirm whether a review originates from a real individual, this trust gap only deepens, leaving platforms unable to reassure consumers or restore the confidence that once made online

Malaysians click “buy”, “book” or “order”, they scroll through reviews looking for genuine voices to guide their choices. A Universiti Putra Malaysia study found that the authenticity of a review has the strongest influence on purchase intention, proving how heavily Malaysians rely on these opinions. However, this trust is now under pressure. Platforms are flooded with AI generated reviews, paid click- farm content and coordinated manipulation campaigns using fake accounts. Google removed more than 240 million policy-violating reviews in 2024, a 41.18% jump from the previous year. As these synthetic voices multiply, genuine reviews lose meaning and consumers are left wondering: Is this opinion real or just code? In a digital age where identity can be faked, only a robust method to prove humanness can restore the faith people place in reviews. Real-world consequences Fake reviews now show up in multiple layers, with bots flooding platforms around the clock, throwaway accounts engineered solely to tilt ratings and increasingly, AI-written reviews polished enough to pass as real. And Malaysians are already paying the price. The research also found that fake reviews can temporarily inflate product ratings but once consumers realise the truth, they feel misled and leave genuine negative feedback. This creates a cycle of disappointment, eroding confidence in platforms and brands. The fallout doesn’t stop with consumers. Small businesses are

Authenticity is becoming just as crucial as infrastructure upgrades, especially as Malaysians increasingly rely on online platforms for shopping. – SYED AZAHAR SYED OSMAN/THESUN

reviews meaningful, especially in an era where Malaysian consumers place trust at the centre of brand loyalty. This is why verifying the presence of a real human behind an account is becoming an essential infrastructure for digital platforms. If each review can be tied to an actual person and even anonymously, it provides a much stronger foundation for authenticity. In an era where AI can imitate human behaviour almost flawlessly, this form of verification offers a practical path to protect the integrity of reviews and rebuild the trust consumers rely on

mitigation strategy: > Identify and isolate CFP: Use existing operational data to transparently pinpoint lanes that consistently show the highest failure rates. > Invest in redundant sensors: Rather than waiting for a full nationwide retrofit, allocate immediate resources to install additional and replace redundant RFID sensors at proven CFP. I believe the operator’s technical team has the capability to implement this solution; what is needed is clear direction from leadership to proceed. This is a feasible, low-technology interim solution that will quickly restore reliability and reduce the safety risks where it is most needed. I urge the operators to act now. Prioritise the safety and well-being of Malaysian road users instead of waiting for long-term solutions. Chin Yew Sin Shah Alam without slowing innovation. We need a digital ecosystem grounded in genuine participation rather than synthetic activity by enabling individuals to prove their humanness while keeping all personal data on their own devices. Malaysia’s digital future will depend not only on adopting new technologies but also on whether people trust the platforms they use, and proving humanness is emerging as a key part of that trust. RyujiWolf is the regional general manager of Meridian East. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

to make decisions.

Proving integrity Malaysia’s digital economy is accelerating, with e-commerce revenue reaching RM937.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025. As this growth continues, the country faces a new priority: ensuring that digital interactions can be trusted. Authenticity is becoming just as crucial as infrastructure upgrades, especially as Malaysians increasingly rely on online platforms for shopping. Privacy-preserving human verification offers a practical way to protect the integrity of these interactions

Fix RFID failures before they cause harm to drivers I AM writing not merely to echo the widespread frustration that has been reported in the media but to urgently demand an implementable solution to a problem that has dangerously undermined our highway system: the reliability of the RFID toll collection system. Allocating investment to fix this issue is a matter of priority, not the scale of capital. The period between now and 2027 is still a long time for road users to endure these daily safety risks.

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

Strengthen support to retain doctors THE Education Ministry’s recent efforts to reduce teachers’ workloads are a positive reminder that staff well being is closely linked to the quality of public services. current staffing and resource allocations are adequate to meet service demands safely.

Operator data would show that the problem is not uniform. A small number of lanes – what may be described as “chronic failure points” (CFP) – consistently record high failure rates and are disproportionate sources of congestion and safety risks, regardless of traffic volume. Many toll operators emphasise their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This situation offers a clear and practical opportunity to demonstrate that commitment in a meaningful way. To leave these dangerous CFP unaddressed is in stark contrast to any claim of prioritising public welfare. I call upon all highway concessionaires and the RFID system operator to demonstrate their CSR by adopting this targeted, cost-effective

When performance expectations rise without a corresponding increase in resources, both staff and patients may be affected. Ensuring realistic workloads is therefore not only an issue but also a matter of maintaining care quality and reducing errors. Proactive measures to support medical staff can help prevent further attrition to the private sector or overseas. In this regard, continued collaboration between the Health and Finance ministries to develop a clear, well-funded approach to workload management would be a constructive step forward. Safeguarding the well-being of doctors will ultimately safeguard the sustainability of our healthcare system. Desmond T. Petaling Jaya

The situation presents clear risks: when an RFID system fails to detect the tag, the leading vehicle may be forced to stop or reverse. This can prompt impatience among following drivers, who may change lanes abruptly, creating dangerous near-miss situations. What was once an inconvenience has evolved into a significant contributor to road safety risks and heightened driver aggression. I understand that highway concessionaires must balance investment decisions during the transition to the Multi-Lane Free Flow system, scheduled to begin in 2027 and that financial prudence is necessary. However, I believe we cannot trade human life and safety with cost.

A similar focus can be beneficial for the public healthcare system, where many doctors are experiencing increasing pressure. There are growing concerns that prolonged workloads and limited institutional support may contribute to fatigue among medical professionals. In some cases, experienced specialists are choosing to leave public institutions in search of more manageable working environments, a trend that warrants attention. Budgetary constraints and efficiency targets, while important, may at times place additional strain on already stretched teams. Reports of critical staff managing workloads well above standard levels suggest the need to reassess whether