Issue Eroded trust driving disengagement from democracy

Summary

Among the longer-term uncertainties, the report identifies the erosion of public trust and disengagement from democracy. If false information keeps spreading, public trust could collapse and people could stop taking part in democratic processes. The report explains that UK citizens' trust in news has already dropped from 51% in 2015 to 33% in 2023, and that mistrust in technology, vaccines and institutions has grown. It also states that foreign actors almost certainly tried to interfere in the 2019 UK general election, and that false information can undermine confidence in the democratic process. Responses listed include the Defending Democracy Taskforce and the Online Safety Act.