Watch
Fake social proof 0:51
A 51-second explainer of Fake social proof, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Fake social proof demo
What this video covers
Fake social proof is invented evidence that other people are buying, watching or endorsing something - "37 people are viewing this right now", fabricated reviews, a fake "just purchased" popup - manufactured to borrow the persuasive weight of the crowd when no real crowd exists. It counterfeits the genuine signal that real social proof carries.
The "37 people viewing right now" jumped around like a slot machine - because it was never counting anyone. That's fake social proof: the reassurance of a crowd, with no crowd behind it. Once you've seen the number invent itself, the spell breaks - and so does your trust in everything else on the page.
