Two reports, one problem
Evidence-led research on trustwashing, written separately for the people who build brands and the people who buy from them. Free to download after a quick registration.
The Trustwashing
Brand Report 2026
How AI, influencers, fake proof, and unverifiable claims are changing brand trust, and what to do about it.
- 12 key findings and a data-at-a-glance chart set
- The five forms of trustwashing
- The 0 to 100 Trustwashing Score
- A 20-question brand self-check
The Trustwashing
Consumer Report 2026
How fake proof, AI polish, hidden influence, and unverifiable claims affect everyday buying decisions.
- Plain-language findings and warning signs
- Seven forms, with safer habits for each
- A risk map and five questions before you trust
- A printable consumer checklist
Spotting, avoiding, and fixing trustwashing
Practical guidance for consumers and brands to recognise misleading claims, demand better evidence, and build trust that holds up.
For Consumers
Know what to look for, ask better questions, and make more informed choices.
For Brands
Build credibility through honest claims, evidence, and transparency.
Downloadable tools
Checklists, templates, and guides to help you take action.
Why independence matters
Trustwashing.com is self-funded and accepts no paid placements, sponsored findings or commercial influence over its research. Its sources, methods, limitations and substantive corrections are published openly.
Different tactics, same goal
To appear trustworthy without earning it. Explore the key forms, and how to call them out.
AI Trustwashing
Synthetic images, reviews, and personas used to fake credibility, without disclosure or proof.
Learn more →Influencer Trustwashing
Hidden sponsorship and scripted enthusiasm borrowing a creator’s credibility.
Learn more →Review Trustwashing
Fake, incentivised, or suppressed reviews that engineer false consensus.
Learn more →Badge Trustwashing
Seals and “verified” labels that imply scrutiny that never happened.
Learn more →Purpose Trustwashing
Values and sustainability language with no measurable, verifiable proof.
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
What is trustwashing?
Trustwashing is the practice of performing trust rather than proving it. A brand uses signals that trigger belief, such as five-star reviews, verification badges, influencer enthusiasm, AI-generated imagery or sustainability language, without the underlying evidence those signals are meant to indicate. Greenwashing is one subset of trustwashing, limited to environmental claims.
What are the five forms of trustwashing?
AI trustwashing (undisclosed synthetic content), influencer trustwashing (hidden sponsorship), review trustwashing (fake or suppressed reviews), badge trustwashing (seals implying scrutiny that never happened), and purpose trustwashing (values and sustainability language without measurable proof).
How is trustwashing different from ordinary marketing?
Marketing that presents a product favourably is not trustwashing. It becomes trustwashing when it borrows the form of independent evidence without the substance: a paid endorsement styled as a spontaneous opinion, a self-awarded badge styled as a certification, or a synthetic image styled as a photograph. The test is whether an ordinary reader would reasonably infer verification that did not occur.
When does AI-generated content have to be labelled in the EU?
From 2 August 2026. Article 50 of the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) requires AI systems that interact with people to identify themselves, requires machine-readable marking of AI-generated audio, image, video and text, requires disclosure of emotion recognition and biometric categorisation, and requires deepfakes and AI-generated text on matters of public interest to be labelled. The European Commission adopted guidelines on 20 July 2026.
What is the penalty for failing to label AI-generated content in the EU?
Up to EUR 15 million or 3 percent of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher, with lower ceilings for small and medium enterprises.
Do the EU AI labelling rules apply to US and Canadian companies?
Yes, where their AI systems are placed on the EU market or their AI outputs are used in the EU. The AI Act applies to providers and deployers wherever they are established, so US, Canadian and UK businesses serving EU users are in scope.
What counts as a proper AI label?
It must be clear, distinguishable from surrounding content, and given at the latest on first exposure. A line in a page footer, a clause in terms and conditions, a watermark that blends into the image, or a disclosure that only appears after a click do not meet the standard.
Who publishes Trustwashing.com?
Emir Ramic, independently and in a personal capacity. The initiative is self-funded, non-commercial, and accepts no advertising, sponsorship or paid placements. It offers no paid reviews, certifications, endorsements or consulting services.
Are the Trustwashing Reports free?
Yes. The 2026 Brand Report and Consumer Report are free to read and download after a short registration, which exists to deliver the report.
Does Trustwashing.com rate or certify companies?
No. It publishes research opinions formed from publicly available evidence. It issues no ratings, certifications, audits or findings of misconduct against any named organisation. The Trustwashing Score is a self-assessment instrument for internal use, not a rating of any company.
Trust should not be something brands can simply simulate. It should be earned through evidence, transparency, accountability, and real human experience.