survey_report

Washington – September 11, 2026 -- A majority of congressional staffers, 63 percent, oppose the U.S. government taking equity stakes in private artificial intelligence companies, according to a CNCT Capitol Pulse survey highlighted by HillFaith, a Capitol Hill fellowship ministry.

Democratic aides show the strongest opposition to federal AI equity stakes

Among Democratic staffers, 67 percent said they "strongly oppose" the government acquiring stakes in AI firms, compared with 58 percent of Republican aides holding the same position. The partisan gap reverses in the "somewhat opposed" category, where 24 percent of Republican staffers registered opposition versus just 5 percent of Democrats.

Munich – September 11, 2026 -- Only 52% of consumers in Germany and France are aware of the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, according to a new consumer study by IDnow, just months before the technology's mandated December 2026 rollout. The digital identity and fraud prevention platform surveyed 1,000 adults in each country and found that trust, not speed, will determine adoption.

Nearly half of consumers abandon transactions over complex verification

48% of respondents said they frequently abandon transactions when identity verification is too complicated or takes too long, exposing a commercial cost that financial institutions already absorb today. IDnow argues this friction creates both the market opportunity and the credibility hurdle the EUDI Wallet must clear.

Munich – September 11, 2026 -- Nearly half of European consumers, 46%, say they frequently abandon a transaction when identity verification is too complex or slow, according to a new IDnow survey released ahead of the EUDI Wallet's mandated December 2026 rollout.

The survey of 2,000 respondents across France and Germany, conducted by Sapio Research in June 2026, found that awareness of the EU Digital Identity Wallet remains low even as EU member states are required to make it available to every citizen by December 2026, with banks obligated to accept it starting December 2027.

Security concerns outweigh speed as the top adoption driver

Forty percent of respondents cited better fraud protection as the decisive factor for accepting the EUDI Wallet, ahead of data control (31%) and transparency over data usage (29%). Faster, simpler processes ranked lower, decisive for only 28% of respondents.

Munich – September 11, 2026 -- Nearly half of consumers in France and Germany, 46%, abandon a transaction when identity verification is too complex or slow, according to a new survey from IDnow published ahead of the EU Digital Identity Wallet's scheduled December 2026 rollout.

The EUDI Wallet Consumer Survey, conducted by Sapio Research in June 2026 among 2,000 adults aged 18-80 (1,000 in France, 1,000 in Germany), found that awareness of the incoming digital identity system remains low while friction in current onboarding processes is already costing financial services providers customers.

Frankfurt – September 10, 2026 -- Rising energy and fuel prices are changing consumer behavior in Germany but failing to trigger a rapid shift toward climate-friendly energy solutions, according to a new BearingPoint survey. The management and technology consultancy found that 53% of respondents plan no switch to greener mobility or heating options over the next two years, leaving fossil fuel infrastructure under sustained demand for longer than markets anticipated.

Higher prices cut driving but stop short of triggering investment

The survey shows 38% of respondents report driving less due to energy and fuel price increases over the past twelve months. Around a quarter shifted to alternatives: 11% use public transport more often, 13% cycle more, and 4% use electric vehicles more frequently. Meanwhile, 42% say price increases had no effect on their mobility behavior at all.

San Antonio – September 08, 2026 -- Graduates of Catholic colleges and universities use artificial intelligence daily at a rate of 44%, eight percentage points higher than the 36% reported by graduates of secular institutions, according to the third Holistic Impact Report (HIR 3.0) commissioned by the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary's University in partnership with YouGov.

Frankfurt – September 07, 2026 -- BYD has climbed to fifth place among the most attractive electric vehicle brands for German consumers actively planning a purchase within the next three years, up from 11th place in the general population, according to a new BearingPoint study.

BYD outperforms among active buyers while legacy brands hold overall lead

Across the full sample, Volkswagen leads brand attractiveness at 31%, followed by Audi at 29% and BMW at 28%. Among the subset of consumers with concrete purchase intent, BMW tops the ranking at 44%, ahead of Audi at 31% and Volkswagen at 30%. BYD scores 20% in this group, surpassing Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Tesla and Skoda.

St. Louis – September 07, 2026 -- Seventy-seven percent of commercial fleet drivers say the benefits of safety technology outweigh privacy concerns, according to a new survey of 267 field service professionals from GPS tracking firm Linxup.

Nearly half of drivers report dash cam footage cleared them in accident disputes

Forty-four percent of respondents said they or a coworker had been involved in an accident where dash cam footage or GPS tracking worked in their favor during an insurance claim or legal dispute. When asked what would most improve their day-to-day work, 29% ranked "protection if something goes wrong" as their top choice, followed by 27% who cited "fewer accidents."

Ewing, N.J. – September 04, 2026 -- Ninety-four percent of U.S. adults say they are concerned about the frequency of food recalls, up from 93% in 2025, according to a new consumer survey commissioned by GS1 US. Confidence in recall effectiveness has simultaneously dropped, with only 80% of respondents believing recalls protect public health, down from 85% a year earlier.

Consumers increasingly avoid entire product categories after recalls

Sixty-seven percent of consumers said they avoided an entire food product category following a recall, up from 60% in 2025. Sixty-six percent reported hesitancy to repurchase the same product or brand, compared with 59% last year, while 59% discarded recalled food even when their own state or region was unaffected, up from 57%. Women showed sharper pullback than men, with 71% avoiding a whole category versus 63% of men.

Cologne – September 04, 2026 -- Two-thirds of German manufacturers of durable consumer goods plan further price increases despite a sharply deteriorating market outlook, according to the Simon-Kucher Business Health Study released in Cologne.

Three-quarters of manufacturers have already raised prices, yet 67% plan more hikes

The survey of 106 decision-makers at manufacturers and brand owners of home electronics, furniture, home textiles and toys in Germany found that 75% have already increased prices over the past 12 months. Despite weak demand, 67% intend to raise prices further, and one in four plans increases above 5%. Only 22% believe the pricing window has closed.