Press Release - Trust Under Threat: 72% of Experts Expect Global Information Environment to Worsen

October 22, 2025 - Zürich, Switzerland – The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) today released the findings of its third annual Expert Survey, capturing the views of 438 researchers from 76 countries on the health of the global information environment.

The 2025 survey highlights three key trends:

1. Rising Pessmism:

For the third year in a row, experts grew more pessimistic about the future of the information environment. This year, 72% of respondents expect conditions to worsen – a 9-point increase from 2024 and an 18-point increase since the survey began in 2023. The findings underline mounting concern about disinformation, polarization, and structural weaknesses in the systems that shape public debate.

2. Intensifying Concerns Over Platforms:

Warnings about power and accountability of digital platforms are sharpening. Three-quarters of experts identify the lack of platform accountability as a big or extreme threat to the information environment. While researchers recognize that social media and search engines can have positive impacts, particularly in developing countries, there is growing consensus that platform dominance and limited transparency are undermining diversity and accuracy in information.

3. Mounting Pressures on Researchers:

The 2025 survey reveals worrying pressures faced by scholars studying the information environment. One in three experts (34%) report self-censoring on social media due to career concerns, with higher rates among those focusing on developing countries. Nearly a quarter (23%) say they fear losing funding, and report having been harassed or doxxed because of their work. Notably, lack of research funding has overtaken data access as the top barrier to studying the information environment.

Professor Sebastian Valenzuela, the IPIE's Chief Science Officer:

The survey makes clear that while experts continue to agree on the core features of a healthy information environment- accuracy and diversity - the threats to achieving these conditions are growing, and researchers themselves are under increasing strain.

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The survey was fielded between the 12th of June 2025 and the 7th of July 2025, and received responses from 438 experts across 76 countries, representing disciplines such as communication, computer science, political science, sociology, and law. Respondents were identified through their authorship of research articles, professional associations, academic networks, and targeted invitations to ensure both geographic and disciplinary diversity. The questionnaire included closed- and open-ended questions on expert assessments of current trends, risks, and opportunities in the global information environment. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The overall response rate was 17%.

The IPIE Expert Survey, launched in 2023, provides a unique global snapshot of expert perceptions on the health, risks, and future of the information environment.

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ENDS

Earlier this year, IPIE also released reports on two issues of concern highlighted by experts: The Role of Generative AI Use in 2024 Elections Worldwide and Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review.

Further details about the IPIE can be found at www.IPIE.info.

For media inquiries, interviews, or more information, please contact Press@IPIE.info.  

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About the IPIE

The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) is an independent and global science organization providing scientific knowledge about the health of the world's information environment. Based in Switzerland, the IPIE offers policymakers, industry, and civil society actionable scientific assessments about threats to the information environment, including AI bias, algorithmic manipulation, and disinformation. The IPIE is the only scientific body systematically organizing, evaluating, and elevating research with the broad aim of improving the global information environment. Hundreds of researchers worldwide contribute to the IPIE's reports.

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