Expert Survey on the Global Information Environment 2025: Safeguarding Epistemic Security

This Summary for Policymakers provides a high-level précis of the Synthesis Report, Trends in the Information Environment: 2025 Expert Survey Results.

The information environment—and those who study it—are under pressure. To better understand the information environment, the IPIE surveyed 438 researchers in 76 countries in June 2025. We frame the results through epistemic security: the reliability of information supply chains from producers to decision‑makers.

This is the survey’s third year, and experts again cite accuracy and diversity as signs of health. Pessimism has grown: in 2023, 54% expected the information environment to worsen; now 72% do. Three‑quarters (75%) identify absent platform accountability as the gravest global threat. Within this frame, we measure integrity as accuracy, pluralism as diverse voices, and institutional safeguards as accountability and protections for researchers and journalists. This year’s survey identifies three new findings.

Experts are reporting complex effects from social media use.

• Respondents believe that social media has increased polarization (88%) while promoting political participation (61%).
• More than three‑quarters (80%) say search engines are positive, especially compared with recommender systems, social media, and AI.

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ISBN: 978-3-03983-011-4

DOI: https://www.doi.org./10.61452/RHHV5915.

Citation: International Panel on the Information Environment [S. Altay, S. Valenzuela, P. N. Howard(eds.)], “Expert Survey on the Global Information Environment 2025: Safeguarding Epistemic Security” Zurich, Switzerland: IPIE, 2025. SFP2025.4, doi:10.61452/RHHV5915.