Malwarebytes has published research on how artificial intelligence is affecting trust, scams and online identity. The survey found that one in three daily AI users think it is acceptable to create explicit images of people they know.

The report drew on responses from 1,500 adults in the US, UK, Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and pointed to growing uncertainty over whether online material is real and communications are genuine.

One of the clearest findings was a decline in confidence in digital evidence. Some 88% of respondents said it is becoming harder to tell whether online content is genuinely human or real, while 84% said convincing video evidence no longer feels like proof.

Scams were another major concern. Some 85% of respondents said they struggle to distinguish scams from legitimate communications, up from 66% the previous year.

Half of those surveyed said they had experienced some form of AI fraud or scam. Exposure was highest among Gen Z respondents at 67%, compared with 51% of Millennials, 46% of Gen X and 30% of Boomers and older people.

The data also suggested identity-related abuse is becoming more common. One in 10 respondents said explicit AI images had been made of them without consent, while 19% said they had experienced some form of AI-driven identity harm. That figure rose to 30% among Gen Z.

Trust erosion

The research described a broad weakening of confidence in basic online signals such as voice, image and video. It found that AI-generated deepfakes, voice cloning and impersonation are contributing to what Malwarebytes characterised as a breakdown in certainty over what people can trust.

Regional differences also emerged. The US recorded higher exposure to AI fraud and scams at 56%, compared with 48% in the UK and 47% across the DACH region.

At the same time, concern was not always matched by defensive action. While 81% of respondents said they fear someone stealing their family’s likeness, only 13% said they had created a family codeword as a safeguard.

Similarly, 67% said they worry about voice cloning, but only 19% said they had turned off voicemail recordings to reduce that risk. The findings also showed that 74% are concerned about experiencing a deepfake or other AI-generated scam.

The DACH region lagged the US and UK across most protective behaviours measured in the study. The report suggested this may reflect stronger institutional trust in those markets.

Changing norms

Beyond fraud, the survey pointed to a shift in attitudes about what people consider acceptable AI use. It found that 18% of respondents believe it is acceptable to use AI to generate explicit images of someone they do not know.

Among daily AI users, the picture was more striking. One in three said it is acceptable to generate explicit images of someone without their consent.

Another 32% of respondents said it is acceptable to use AI to imitate their voice or appearance, provided it is for personal use. The findings suggest concern about misuse can coexist with tolerance for practices that could enable abuse.

Mark Beare, Head of Consumer at Malwarebytes, commented on the findings.

“AI’s deepest impact isn’t on our devices; it’s on us. When people can no longer trust what they see, hear, or who they’re talking to, the damage reaches far beyond any single scam and into the building blocks of our society,” Beare said.

He also linked the issue to the wider role of cyber protection.

“Cybersecurity has always adapted, and it will again, but only if we recognize that what we’re protecting now is something far more important than data. It’s people’s ability to believe one another,” he said.

The report was based on a survey prepared by an independent research consultant and distributed through Forsta. Respondents were aged 18 and older, with the sample split equally by gender and weighted across age groups, regions and race groups.

Malwarebytes also used the publication of the findings to highlight Scam Guard, a scam-detection feature built into its desktop and mobile products. The tool provides real-time feedback on suspected scams, threats and malware, alongside digital safety recommendations.

It is also intended to reduce the stigma that can surround scam victims by offering guidance before users act on suspicious messages. The wider findings, however, indicate that the challenge may extend beyond technical detection to a deeper loss of confidence in whether online interactions can be trusted at all.

Las Iguanas, which runs 44 sites across the country but none currently in Oxfordshire, had warned it would “inevitably enter administration” if the deal was not sanctioned.

It previously operated an Oxford branch in Park End Street, which closed back in June 2017, leaving the county without any of the group’s Latin American-themed restaurants.

The chain is owned by Iguanas Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of The Big Table Group, which also sits behind several familiar high-street brands including Frankie & Benny’s, Bella Italia and Banana Tree.

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In May, the company confirmed it had gone to court to seek approval for a restructuring plan intended to deal with its heavy debt pile.

At the time, bosses said that, without the move, the business would not be able to continue trading and would be forced into administration.

The court has now backed the plan, allowing around £37 million of debts to be cancelled or compromised and giving the chain a financial lifeline.

As part of the rescue, The Big Table Group is injecting £3 million of new funding into the business as part of a wider turnaround strategy.

READ MORE: UK food supplier giant falls into administration owing £1.5m debt

The deal also paves the way for reduced rents at certain sites and agreements with landlords on some outstanding sums, easing pressure on the company’s day‑to‑day cash flow.

Mr Justice Meade approved the scheme at a hearing in London, clearing the way for the restaurant operator to avoid collapse and continue trading.

The group has stressed that the restructuring relates only to the legal entity that holds the chain’s property leases and related costs, and does not involve the wider Big Table business, its suppliers, its employees or any of its other brands.

All 44 restaurants are continuing to operate as normal while the rescue plan is implemented, with the company presenting the deal as a way to secure the long‑term future of the brand and safeguard sites and jobs.

Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe is currently under construction, after a community share offer running since 2020 raised the funds for the purpose-built business in the village west of Bicester.

Already the project is gaining recognition, as it has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Rural Community Business Awards 2026.

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The annual awards, sponsored by Lands Improvement and hosted by Woodstock-based charity Plunkett UK, have named the rural businesses in the ‘One To Watch’ category.

Construction of Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe is currently underway (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

Celia Hawkesworth, chair of the management committee for the new shop, said: “We’re thrilled to be one of the finalists in the ‘One To Watch’ category.

“We’ve been working hard on this project since 2020, and it’s an honour to be recognised alongside the best community-owned businesses when we’ve barely got started.

“Exciting times are ahead as we work towards opening our new shop and cafe later in the summer.”

Construction is underway at Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

Locals came together after the village’s shop closed in 2020, and since then successfully raised £233,500 towards the £275,000 target funds needed for the project.

This includes £180,000 raised through a community share offer, meaning villagers have personally invested in the scheme.

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A ground-breaking ceremony was held on April 10 this year to mark the beginning of construction of the much-wanted community shop and cafe.

The ground-breaking event of Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe in April (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

The new shop and cafe, designed to bring services ‘back to the heart of the community’, will be housed in a purpose-built, energy-efficient building next to the village hall.

Plunkett UK, a national charity which supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses in community ownership, provided the village group with ‘invaluable’ advice, according to the committee chair.

The charity’s vision is to create resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities by extending the number of democratic, community-owned business from the more than 850 already operating in the UK.

Construction is underway at Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe (Image: Amanda Deadman Photography)

Its rural community business awards celebrates businesses that contribute to their areas across nine different categories, from the ‘going green’ award to ‘team spirit’ and ‘young person’.

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Sarah Benn, Relationships Team Leader at Plunkett UK, said: “It has been inspiring to see so many people nominate their local community-owned businesses, truly emphasising the significant role they play in their communities.

“We celebrate the considerable impact each one is making it its local area and we are looking forward to next month’s awards event when the winners are announced.”

The award ceremony will take place at The Royal Society of Chemistry in London on Thursday, July 2.

The Kirtlington Community Shop and Cafe is expected to open later in the summer.