Trends in the Information Environment: 2025 Expert Survey Results

A high-level précis of this Synthesis Report can be found in the Summary for Policymakers report, Expert Survey on the Global Information Environment 2025: Safeguarding Epistemic Security.

The information environment is under great pressure, as are the individuals studying it. To better understand how experts perceive its features and threats, the IPIE conducted a survey of 438 researchers from 76 countries in June 2025.

• Pessimism is rising. This year, 72% of respondents expected the information environment to worsen—a 9-point increase from 2024 and an 18-point increase since the first survey in 2023.

• Warnings about platforms have intensified, with 75% of experts considering the lack of platform accountability as a major threat.

• Experts note that social media has made problems like polarization worse, while promoting political participation and other positive outcomes.  

• A large majority consider that search engines have had positive effects on the information environment, especially compared to recommender systems, social media, and AI.

• The dominance of large private media companies is considered, by far, to be the main barrier to the presence of diverse voices.

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ISBN: 978-3-03983-012-1

URL: https://www.ipie.info/research/sr2025-2

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.61452/GZNW1970

Citation: International Panel on the Information Environment [S. Altay, S. Valenzuela, P. N. Howard (eds.)], “Trends in the Information environment: 2025 Expert Survey Results,” Zurich, Switzerland: IPIE, 2025. Synthesis Report, SR2025.2, doi: 10.61452/GZNW1970.