Below, you find an overview of the key findings from the latest Weizenbaum Report 2026. More detailed accounts and analysis can be found in the publications section. Also, you can explore and visualize the data interactively in our Data Explorer.
Social media is increasingly shaping news consumption
- The internet is an established source of news and political content. In particular, the importance of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, continues to grow.
- The variety of media used regularly has been declining since 2021. This is due to the shrinking importance of print newspapers and magazines and an increasing tendency to avoid the news.
Positive trend in attitudes toward AI, media trust remains stable
- The proportion of people who view artificial intelligence positively continues to rise: from 27 percent in 2023 to 37 percent in 2025. This trend is particularly pronounced among demographic groups that were previously more skeptical of AI.
- After a noticeable decline between 2020 and 2023, trust in established media remains robust at 49 percent. This is evident from a comparison with earlier surveys conducted as part of the Long-term Study on Media Trust.
Clear expectations regarding the behavior of citizens online
- Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Germans’ expectations of what constitutes good citizenship have waned. They have remained at a stable, albeit lower, level ever since.
- In addition to traditional citizenship norms, “discursive norms” for the internet have established. These include engaging in discourse, carefully selecting information, and expressing one’s own political views.
Civic engagement is on the rise — Digital divides persist
- Citizens in Germany are more committed than ever to democratic coexistence: donations, volunteer work, political consumption, and the mobilization of others are on the rise.
- Online forms of participation are more popular among highly educated people and younger adults than among other citizens. Women tend to be more reserved when it comes to publicly visible forms of participation, such as commenting on political content.
More citizens find themselves exposed to misinformation
- More and more people are encountering misinformation online, but more people are also taking action against it. This suggests that the public is becoming increasingly aware of the issue in the age of generative AI and deepfakes.
- Online hate and misinformation are a daily reality, especially for younger people: nearly 90 percent of those under 30 reported experiencing this in 2025. Different generations respond to it differently: younger people are more likely to report hate and misinformation to the platforms, while older people tend to intervene.
High levels of perceived violence against politicians and concerns about democracy
- The majority of Germans believe that democracy in the country is under threat in light of violence against politicians.
- People who perceived violence against politicians as widespread in 2025 were more likely to have demonstrated, contacted politicians, and signed petitions.