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New Research: Trust Crisis. Australians Have Stopped Believing What They See Online

Oysterly

Key Facts:

Key Findings at a Glance

• 82.5% of Australians usually check more than one source before deciding what and where to buy
• 81.5% believe AI-generated images or videos should be clearly labelled, including 76.9% of Gen Z, 82.3% of Millennials and 84.6% of Gen X
• 81.3% worry fake or manipulated reviews are becoming more common, consistent across Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X
• 77.8% say it is getting harder to tell what is genuinely independent versus sponsored
• 72.2% are concerned AI will make it harder to tell what content is real and trustworthy
• 45% say one of the hardest parts of searching today is knowing what content to trust
• 27.8% of Gen Z look for real user experience videos when searching on social; 22.1% look for legitimacy signals; 20.9% look for photos of the product or service
• Gen Z are more likely than older cohorts to trust online communities such as Reddit (22.6%), short-form video (26.5%), AI assistants (19.2%) and influencers (14.5%)
• 63.6% of Gen Z and 57.1% of Millennials say niche communities are more useful than mainstream social feeds for purchase decisions, versus 41.7% of Gen X

EMBARGOED: 6AM 5 May 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Trust Crisis: Australians Have Stopped Believing What They See Online

Fake reviews, AI content and sponsored posts have broken Australians’ trust online

More than eight in ten Australians no longer trust what they read online, and most are now doing their own research before spending their money. A new study has found that fake reviews, AI-generated content and the blurring of paid and independent media have pushed Australians to question almost everything they read online, creating a “Trust Crisis” that cuts across every generation, with Gen Z the most sceptical of all.

The Changing Landscape of Discovery and Trust report, released today by Oysterly Media, surveyed 1,200 Australians and found that 81 per cent are worried fake or manipulated reviews are becoming more common, while 77.8 per cent say it is getting harder to tell sponsored content from genuine editorial. Nearly half say simply knowing what to trust is now one of the hardest parts of searching for anything online.

"Our research makes clear is that the Trust Crisis is a daily reality for Australians trying to make informed decisions right now," said Melissa Laurie, CEO of Oysterly Media. "The volume of content online has never been higher, but confidence in that content is at an all-time low. It is also concerning that almost 80 per cent of respondents find it difficult to tell sponsored content from genuine editorial."

Generational Divide in How Trust Is Built

Gen Z are the most active fact-checkers and the most specific about what they are looking for. More than one in five (22.1%) of them say they look for signals that a brand or product is legitimate when searching on social media. More than a quarter (27.8%) want real user experience videos, and one in five (20.9%)  are looking for photos of the product or service. 

They are also more likely than older cohorts to turn to online communities such as short-form video (26.5%) like Reels, TikToks, Shorts as trusted sources. Mainstream brand messaging is not enough. Gen Z want layered proof from real people, visible evidence and community validation.

Millennials follow a similar pattern, with 57.1 per cent saying niche communities are more useful than mainstream social feeds for purchase decisions, compared with 41.7 per cent of Gen X, who are more likely to stay with sources they already have an established reason to trust. The starting point is the same across all three generations: deep scepticism about what they read online. 

"The opportunity for brands is to demonstrate authenticity and become easier to verify through creator content, real demonstrations, community signals and visible evidence. Gen Z and Millennials are not waiting to be told a brand is trustworthy. They want to see real experiences by real people," explains Melissa. 

AI Is Deepening the Trust Crisis

The rapid growth of AI applications is exacerbating the Trust Crisis. Nearly three quarters of Australians (72.2%) express concern that AI will make it harder to distinguish real and trustworthy content from fake. And 45 per cent confess that knowing what to trust as one of the hardest aspects of searching for information today.

One of the most unified findings in the study that cuts across all the generational differences is 81.5 per cent of respondents believe AI-generated images and videos should be clearly labelled. Agreement is high across every cohort (76.9 % of Gen Z to 82.3% of Millennials and 84.6 % of Gen X). 

Oysterly Media’s findings correlate with broader third-party research. The Edelman 2026 Australian Trust Barometer found that overall institutional trust remains neutral rather than positive. Globally, the same research found influencers can bridge the trust gap with 57 per cent of consumers who trust a financial influencer saying they would consider trusting a financial company they previously distrusted if that influencer endorsed it. For food and lifestyle influencers the figure rises to 62 per cent.

The Medianet 2026 Australian Media Landscape Report, drawing on a survey of more than 800 journalists, adds another dimension. Most journalists (54%) now use generative AI tools in their work, up from 37 per cent a year earlier. At the same time, concern among journalists about AI's impact on integrity has reached a record high of 93 per cent.

Melissa Laurie explains: "Australians have clearly communicated to us that disclosure is a baseline expectation when it comes to AI-generated content. Brands and publishers that get ahead of this will be better placed to earn trust, while those who don’t use real people in an authentic way will be left behind. 

"AI is not creating the Trust Crisis, but it is accelerating it," she continues. "When nearly three quarters of Aussies are worried about distinguishing AI content from the real thing, and when the journalists producing that content share many of the same concerns, we are looking at a structural challenge across the entire information ecosystem."

Key Findings at a Glance

• 82.5% of Australians usually check more than one source before deciding what and where to buy
• 81.5% believe AI-generated images or videos should be clearly labelled, including 76.9% of Gen Z, 82.3% of Millennials and 84.6% of Gen X
• 81.3% worry fake or manipulated reviews are becoming more common, consistent across Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X
• 77.8% say it is getting harder to tell what is genuinely independent versus sponsored
• 72.2% are concerned AI will make it harder to tell what content is real and trustworthy
• 45% say one of the hardest parts of searching today is knowing what content to trust
• 27.8% of Gen Z look for real user experience videos when searching on social; 22.1% look for legitimacy signals; 20.9% look for photos of the product or service
• Gen Z are more likely than older cohorts to trust online communities such as Reddit (22.6%), short-form video (26.5%), AI assistants (19.2%) and influencers (14.5%)
• 63.6% of Gen Z and 57.1% of Millennials say niche communities are more useful than mainstream social feeds for purchase decisions, versus 41.7% of Gen X

 

Methodology

The Changing Landscape of Discovery and Trust was conducted by Oysterly Media and Oaktree Insights and Consulting in Q1 2026, surveying 1,200 Australians drawn from all states and territories. The sample was weighted to reflect the Australian population by age, gender and location.

Media enquiries

Fiona Hamann                                                             Effie DCunha

Hamann Communication                                             Hamann Communication

0415191659                                                                0478 718 725 

About us:

About Oysterly Media

Oysterly Media is an Australian-founded short form video agency that specialises in Social Discovery,  helping brands grow through standout short-form content, sharp strategy and trend-driven storytelling. Founded by Melissa Laurie in 2022, the company specialises in brand owned user-generated content and trains marketing teams how to activate employee generated content within their organisations. They use proprietary social search tools to make brand videos searchable, scroll-stopping and built to perform. Oysterly Media works with brands globally and is headquartered in Singapore. For more information visit oysterlymedia.com.

 

Contact details:

Fiona Hamann

Hamann Communiaction

0415 191 659

[email protected]