The Impact of Unethical and False Advertising on Social Media Towards Consumer Buying Behaviour: An Examination Among Young Adults in Malaysia

Multiple discussions and papers exist regarding the impact of false advertising on consumer behaviour. However, there has been little information on false and unethical advertising through social media platforms in Malaysia. Existing research have focused on various other information such as the impact of deceptive advertising on women purchasing behaviour in Pakistan, the influence of false claims from advertisements conveyed through word-of-mouth, the effect it has on gender-based customers, etc. This paper focuses on the impact of false advertising found in social media and e-commerce platforms on consumer buying behaviour, with an emphasis on young adults. It further identifies the importance of adhering to the principles of ethics in terms of advertising. The study consists of a sample size of 103 young adults in Malaysia. The Pearson Correlation Test had shown a significant correlation between all three independent variables, with a strong relationship was discovered between intent to purchase and perceived risk with the buying behaviour of consumers. The results of this study showed that advertisements on online platforms manipulated the purchase behaviour of consumers, specifically young adults in Malaysia.