New data finds Australians don't trust their tech. Here's why

Australian trust in technology has fallen to its lowest recorded level, even as digital use continues to climb, according to new research released by The Growth Distillery on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

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The research, titled How Australians Are Navigating the Next Wave of Technology, found Australians spend a third of their waking lives in digital spaces, yet only 30% trust most technology to act in their best interests. Just 18% feel optimistic and excited about technology's future.

Five forces behind the trust gap

The research identifies five forces driving the decline in confidence:

• AI Acceleration Without Guardrails: the speed, scale and stakes of the system are accelerating while rules and safeguards struggle to keep pace.
• Erosion of Trust in Digital Environments: 42% are often or always unsure whether the content or person they are interacting with is real or AI-generated.
• Rising Demand for Protection and Care: 77% believe tech companies must be held accountable for social harm, and expect prevention rather than response.
• Uneven Readiness and a Widening Confidence Gap: 44% feel overwhelmed and left behind by the pace of change.
• Sovereignty and Security Anxiety: 75% care significantly more about where their personal data is stored than they used to.

Four roles for organisations

The research sets out four roles organisations must play to close the confidence gap: Protector, defending people from scams, misuse and digital harm; Guide, helping people make sense of what is real, safe and trustworthy; Humaniser, making technology feel simpler and more human; and Advocate, pushing for stronger rules and safeguards.

The Growth Distillery's Research Director, Tom Boxall, said: “Australians are not turning away from technology. They are turning away from organisations that ask them to trust without giving them reason to. Closing that confidence gap is the real growth opportunity, and the research shows exactly what it takes to do it. The organisations that win will be the ones that make technology feel safer, clearer and genuinely on people's side.”

The Growth Distillery is a research think-tank powered by News Corp Australia.