Digital Decade 2026: Special Eurobarometer

A new Eurobarometer survey reveals that Europeans are increasingly concerned about digital rights, online safety, and disinformation, while showing strong support for EU digital sovereignty and regulation of emerging technologies like generative AI. The report, released as part of the Digital Decade 2026 initiative, highlights public expectations for cooperation between the EU and member states to address digital challenges.

The first section of this report examines how Europeans perceive the impact of digitalisation on their daily lives and how well they feel their digital rights are protected, offering a snapshot of public sentiment halfway through the Digital Decade. The second part explores the drivers of public support for digital policy , including the priority Europeans attach to digitalisation, their expectations for the EU’s digital objectives and the role of cooperation between the EU and Member States. The third section addresses citizens’ expectations regarding emerging technologies, their use of generative AI, support for European digital sovereignty and views on AI priorities, barriers to adoption and governance preferences. Finally, the report delves into enduring public concerns related to the digital environment, including online safety for children and young people, the threat of disinformation and online manipulation to democracy, as well as the personal relevance of platform regulation. Among the most notable findings : You can download the report, the summary , the annexes , the infographic and the factsheets per Member State: