Executive Summary

A representative Bitkom survey of 1,004 people (aged 16+, CW 9–12/2026) shows: 99 percent of Germans consider digital independence important, 93 percent perceive current dependence on other countries, 79 percent demand stronger investments in key technologies. However, only 14 percent use European social networks, 6 percent use European AI applications. Main barrier: 55 percent find switching to European providers too complicated.

People

Topics

  • Digital Sovereignty
  • European Technology Providers
  • Consumer Opinion and User Behavior
  • Regulation and Investment

Clarus Lead

The survey results reveal a central political tension: While the German population has accepted digital independence as a goal, implementation fails due to practical barriers and network effects of established platforms. The discrepancy between aspiration (99% approval) and reality (6% AI use from the EU) signals a need for action in industrial and regulatory policy – at the same time, 87 percent holding consumers responsible suggests an understanding that individual responsibility and structural frameworks must work together.

Detailed Summary

The survey distinguishes between awareness and action: One third (34%) has already deliberately chosen European services, 27% have engaged with the topic. The remaining 34% have not reflected on it. 87 percent expect consumers to adapt; 62 percent would accept temporary disadvantages.

The main barriers do not lie in willingness but in complexity: data migration, platform dependencies, and feature gaps prevent 55 percent from switching. In everyday life, European technology is marginal: 14% use European social networks, 13% use European search engines/browsers, 11% use European messengers. With AI and smartphones, the figures are 6 and 5 percent respectively, falling even further short of aspirations.

Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst calls for increased investment and deregulation in response, but emphasizes that digital sovereignty is achievable not in isolation but through international partnerships and security standards – including technologies from non-EU countries as long as they meet sovereignty requirements.

Key Statements

  • 99% of Germans consider digital independence important; 93% perceive current dependence
  • Practical use of European offerings remains low (6–14%) because switching processes seem too complex
  • 87% expect consumers to take action themselves; 62% accept short-term disadvantages
  • Regulation and investment alone are insufficient – international standards and partnerships are necessary

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: How was the sample size (n=1,004) determined for a population of ~83 million adults? What weighting was applied by region, age, and education?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: Bitkom is an association with economic interests in the German digital industry – to what extent could the survey topic (demand for investment) have influenced question formulation?

  3. Causality: It is unclear from the survey whether the complexity of switching (55%) is an objective barrier or a subjectively perceived risk. Is there evidence for comparable migrations in other countries?

  4. Feasibility: Wintergerst's call for "measured regulation" remains vague – which specific EU or federal laws should be changed to reduce switching costs?

  5. Representativeness: The survey was conducted by telephone – are people over 75 or those without a landline systematically underrepresented?

  6. Counter-Hypothesis: Could low usage rates of European offerings (6–14%) also indicate actually better functionality or lower costs of US/Chinese alternatives, rather than just network effects?

Bibliography

Primary Source: 99 Percent Want Digital Independence – 6 Percent Use AI from EU – Heise News, Author: Moritz Förster

Supplementary Source:

  1. Bitkom e.V. – Original Survey Statement

Verification Status: ✓ CW 9–12/2026

This text was created with the assistance of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Checking: 2026