The report examines how changing privacy expectations are affecting cookie consent, data-sharing decisions, and consumer trust in AI across seven markets.
Copenhagen, Denmark--(Newsfile Corp. - September 8, 2026) - Data privacy technology company Usercentrics has released its State of Digital Trust 2026 Report, finding that 48% of consumers now click "accept all" on cookie banners less often than they did three years ago, while only 23% say they do so more often., finding that 48% of consumers now click "accept all" on cookie banners less often than they did three years ago, while only 23% say they do so more often.
Usercentrics releases its 2026 State of Digital Trust Report
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Commissioned by Usercentrics and conducted by Sapio Research among 11,000 consumers across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, the report links the decline to both consent fatigue and greater awareness of data privacy.
The findings were recently discussed by Tilman Harmeling, Strategy & Market Intelligence at Usercentrics, in a DesignRush feature examining the decline in passive cookie acceptance and the growing differences between privacy-aware and privacy-unaware consumers.
The report also found that more than half of consumers now selectively manage cookie preferences, with 39% accepting only necessary cookies and 16% customizing their settings individually.
The report covers several areas shaping how consumers approach data privacy, consent and AI, including:
Changing cookie consent behavior: Fewer consumers are clicking "accept all," while selective consent is becoming more common.
Growing privacy awareness: Consumers with a stronger understanding of their data rights show different attitudes toward consent and personalization.
The data comprehension gap: Nearly half of consumers still report limited understanding of how their data is collected and used.
Trust in AI and data access: Consumer comfort varies significantly depending on the type of data and account an AI system can access.
Regional differences: Attitudes toward privacy, AI transparency and data collection vary across the markets surveyed.
What brands can do: The report introduces the T.R.U.S.T. framework, covering consent experiences, privacy controls, data governance and AI oversight.and AI oversight.
The State of Digital Trust 2026 Report is available from Usercentrics.
About Usercentrics:
Usercentrics is a leading data privacy technology company that helps businesses collect, manage, and activate consented data with confidence. Trusted by 2.4 million websites and apps across 195 countries, the company processes more than 8.8 billion user consents every month. Through its platform - spanning consent management, server-side tagging, and AI data governance - Usercentrics gives businesses the compliance infrastructure to grow, innovate, and operate responsibly in an AI-first world. responsibly in an AI-first world.
About DesignRush:
DesignRush is a media platform and B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews, agency rankings, awards, industry insights, and curated agency recommendations for vetted projects.
Media Contact:
Name: Angela Diegel, Head of Content
Email Address: angela@designrush.com
Company: DesignRush
Company Website: www.designrush.com
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