EU Data Shows 55.9% of Citizens Encountered Doubtful Content Online in 2025
More than half of EU citizens aged 16-74 reported encountering untrue or doubtful content online in 2025. The data highlights rising exposure, age differences and the need for stronger information governance.
More than half of EU citizens aged 16 to 74 reported encountering untrue or doubtful content online in 2025, according to newly documented EU-wide data. The figure reached 55.9%, up from 49.25% in 2023, underscoring the scale of the information-quality challenge facing platforms, policymakers and organisations that increasingly use digital and AI-enabled channels.
The data is set out in an official EU document on digital-information monitoring. It does not attribute the increase to one cause or measure the share of misinformation created with AI. Still, its publication lands as European policy discussions increasingly consider how generative AI can make misleading material cheaper and faster to produce, adapt and distribute.
What the 2025 EU data shows
Exposure was highest among younger respondents. About 66.34% of people aged 16 to 24 said they had encountered untrue or doubtful content online in 2025. That was up from 61.66% in 2023. Among people aged 25 to 64, the reported exposure rate rose from 51.7% to 58.57%.
The figures also show a rise in efforts to check information online. Across the full 16 to 74 age group, 29.16% reported verifying information online in 2025. Verification was more common among younger cohorts, reaching 39.49% for 16 to 24-year-olds and 30.4% for those aged 25 to 64.
| Age group | Encountered untrue or doubtful content, 2023 | Encountered untrue or doubtful content, 2025 | Verified information online, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 74 | 49.25% | 55.9% | 29.16% |
| 16 to 24 | 61.66% | 66.34% | 39.49% |
| 25 to 64 | 51.7% | 58.57% | 30.4% |
A separate indicator in the document points to a broader deterioration in online experience. In 2025, 39.72% of respondents aged 16 to 74 reported exposure to hostile or degrading online messages. The rate was 52.99% for those aged 16 to 24 and 41.14% for people aged 25 to 64. These measures describe reported exposure, not a proven causal relationship between misinformation and harmful speech, but together they show why information integrity has become a central digital-policy concern.
AI changes the operating environment
The EU figures do not isolate AI-generated content, so they should not be read as evidence that AI caused the reported increase. The important implication is more practical: a high baseline of reported exposure makes reliable provenance, review processes and transparent communications more consequential as generative tools become commonplace.
AI can support legitimate business uses such as drafting, translation, customer assistance and knowledge retrieval. It can also lower the effort required to create plausible-looking text, images or other material at scale. For enterprises, the key issue is not whether every AI output is deceptive. It is whether material that affects customers, employees, investors or public trust has appropriate controls before it is published or acted upon.
A proportionate enterprise response can include:
- Clear ownership for reviewing high-impact external and internal AI-assisted communications.
- Source and approval controls for claims involving policy, health, finance, security or company performance.
- Staff guidance on recognising doubtful content, verifying material and escalating potential impersonation or misinformation.
- Documented AI governance that defines permitted tools, use cases and accountability for outputs.
What the data means for European digital governance
The EU monitors online information risks in a policy environment that includes the Digital Services Act and wider anti-disinformation measures. The 2025 figures add an important public-experience signal to that work: reported exposure to doubtful content is rising, including among groups that are comparatively more likely to verify information online.
That does not by itself establish what further regulatory action will follow, nor does it identify which services or formats are responsible. It does, however, strengthen the case for continued attention to platform accountability, risk assessment, transparency and digital-literacy measures. For businesses deploying AI, it also makes governance less of an abstract compliance exercise and more of a trust and operational-resilience requirement.
For European businesses, this data makes information integrity a commercial and governance concern, not just a communications issue. Scalevise can help translate AI policy, approval workflows and risk controls into practical operating processes that protect trust while preserving useful AI adoption. Our AI consultancy services can assess where AI-generated or AI-assisted content creates material exposure and define accountable safeguards. Request a consultation with Scalevise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of EU citizens encountered untrue or doubtful content online in 2025?
According to the EU document, 55.9% of citizens aged 16 to 74 reported encountering untrue or doubtful content online in 2025.
Which age group reported the highest exposure to doubtful content?
People aged 16 to 24 reported the highest exposure rate at 66.34% in 2025. The rate for people aged 25 to 64 was 58.57%.
Does the EU data prove that AI caused the increase in misinformation exposure?
No. The data reports exposure to untrue or doubtful content but does not quantify AI-generated content or establish AI as the cause of the increase.
How many people verified information online in 2025?
Online information verification was reported by 29.16% of people aged 16 to 74. The rate was 39.49% among 16 to 24-year-olds and 30.4% among people aged 25 to 64.
Conclusion
The 2025 EU data documents a clear rise in reported exposure to untrue or doubtful online content, with the highest rates among younger adults. While it does not assign responsibility to AI, the findings reinforce the need for credible sources, thoughtful platform governance and disciplined AI controls where information affects public trust or business decisions.