The Impact of Fake News on Consumer Trust in Fast-Food Restaurants: Perceptions of Young People in Bucharest
Author:Sorin-George Toma, Andra Modreanu, Mihaela Cornelia Sandu, Constantin-Daniel Văduva and Ana-Maria Badea
JEL:D12, L66, L83.
DOI:10.24818/EA/2026/73/958
Keywords:fake news, fast food restaurants, consumers, social platforms, trust, young people, digital self-efficacy.
Abstract:
The proliferation of disinformation and fake news, mostly through social platforms, and their impact on the food industry, in general, and the fast-food restaurants, in particular, has been analysed in the scientific literature in the past decades and represented a major concern for their management. The importance of studying this phenomenon becomes critical among young people, a demographic segment recognised for both its high consumption of fast-food products and its intense use of social platforms. There are relatively few studies regarding this topic, both internationally and in Romania, and those that do exist have focused primarily on the consumption of fast-food products, without emphasising the impact of misinformation and fake news on young people’s trust in fast-food restaurants. That is why this study aims to investigate the perceptions of young people from Bucharest aged 20-34 about how disinformation and fake news, disseminated mainly through the online environment, influence their trust in the fast-food restaurants. The study contributes to the enrichment of the scientific literature, having both theoretical (e.g., the moderating effect of age) and practical (e.g., the involvement of authorities) contributions. In this regard, the authors used a quantitative research method based on an online survey. A total number of 404 questionnaires were validated from young people who live in Bucharest. The data were processed using the statistical software R, version 2025.05.1+513, and processed using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the multi-group analysis. The study results showed that age is a key indicator of how young consumers perceive and manage the interdependence between the physical (fast-food restaurants) and the online (especially social platforms) environments. Those who spend more time on social platforms and frequently consume fast-food products are more aware of the negative impact of fake news on fast-food restaurants.