Trust in social media. Youtube beats TikTok and X

illustration: DALL-E

In a trust survey of social media platforms conducted in Poland by the Institute for Market and Social Research IBRiS for the Res Futura Analytical Collective and SentiOne, Poles rated which social platforms they trust and which they do not. YouTube received the most positive responses. Nearly one in four respondents expressed trust, including 6 percent who said "definitely." Distrust in the platform was declared by 20 percent, while 42 percent were neutral. Only 3 percent of those surveyed did not know this platform.

On the other end of the scale was TikTok. Nearly one third of respondents said they did not trust it. Only 13 percent expressed trust, with no one selecting "definitely trust". A significant 16 percent had never heard of the app.


Facebook landed close to TikTok. Three out of ten respondents did not trust the platform. 22 percent expressed trust, and 31 percent were neutral. High neutrality levels were also seen with Instagram. As much as 36 percent chose that option. Only 11 percent declared trust, while 20 percent expressed distrust.

Platform X (formerly Twitter) received similar ratings. 20 percent trusted it and 21 percent did not. The rebranding may have impacted recognition. As many as 26 percent of respondents did not know the new name. The least recognized service turned out to be Telegram. 58 percent did not know the app. Only 4 percent declared trust and 11 percent distrust.

Platform	Trust (%)	Distrust (%)	Neutral (%)	Don`t know (%)
YouTube	23	20	42	3
Facebook	22	31	31	5
X (Twitter)	20	21	24	26
TikTok	13	32	28	16
Instagram	11	20	36	19
Telegram	4	11	15	58

source: IBRiS for Res Futura Analytical Collective and SentiOne

Based on data from the trust in social platforms study by Res Futura, IBRiS, and SentiOne, several clear conclusions emerge. The findings form a bigger picture. Society is becoming more cautious about social media and real trust goes only to platforms that are neutral, functional, and easy to understand for a broad audience. A deeper understanding comes from comparing with other media studies. Both social and traditional.

Trust is leaving platforms but not people

According to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as many as 49 percent of Europeans trust public media. In comparison, only 17 percent trust social media. This shows that on a continental scale, platforms like Facebook or TikTok have not earned the status of trusted information sources.

In Poland, these ratios are even more stark. According to the Reuters Digital News Report 2024, only 33 percent of Poles believe most online news is true. That is among the lowest in Europe. Low content credibility translates into distrust toward the channels that distribute it. Mainly social media.


Interestingly, even younger users who actively use TikTok or Instagram say they approach content there with great caution. Manipulation, disinformation, and sponsored posts pretending to be real are widespread. This undermines the credibility of entire platforms regardless of individual experiences.

People more than platforms

An additional insight comes from an analysis of user attitudes toward influencer marketing. Users trust specific people more than entire platforms. As many as 63 percent said they trust influencers who communicate sincerely and personally. This shows that the source of trust today is not the brand but the person.

Social media platforms are no longer seen as neutral communication tools. Users expect authenticity, engagement, and consistency. Not only from the content but also from the creators. That is why YouTube, seen more as a tool than a media outlet, ranks best. Meanwhile, TikTok and Facebook are paying the price for scandals, disinformation, and overreliance on algorithms. It is increasingly clear that trust is not disappearing. It is simply changing its target.