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1. More than a quarter of consumers say they’ve been impacted in some way by a recent food recall.
A listeria outbreak linked to deli meats, first identified in July, has resulted in numerous hospitalizations across nearly 20 states. Awareness of the outbreak among Americans has increased by eight percentage points over the past three months, with a similar rise in concerns about listeria.
New CivicScience data show that 28% of U.S. adults report that they or someone in their household has been impacted by a food recall in the last three months. The most likely impacts include having to refrain from purchasing items they would typically buy and having to switch to a different brand. Notably, consumers from lower-income households (less than $50K per year) are 13 percentage points more likely than higher-income counterparts ($100K+ per year) to report being affected by recent food recalls.
2. Most Americans expect positive impacts from the Federal Trade Commission’s efforts to combat fake and misleading reviews.
The FTC’s August rule banning fake online reviews and misleading testimonials, including AI-generated ones, for online products recently went into effect. The latest CivicScience data show that more than two-thirds of Americans believe this move will make a positive impact, compared to just over a quarter who expect it to have minimal impact (excluding those answering ‘not sure’). Conversely, 7% think it will have a negative impact.
Access the full Weekly Pulse report to see the data cut by political party.
Weigh in: How concerned are you about fake online reviews of businesses?
3. Consumers also show strong support for the new FTC rule on canceling subscriptions, led by older Americans.
Tackling fake/misleading reviews isn’t the only thing the FTC has been up to recently. Another new measure from the FTC, known as the “click to cancel” rule, requires subscription services to make canceling a service as easy as it is to sign up. CivicScience polling finds the new rule has the backing of about three-quarters of consumers, with 7% expressing opposition. This support spans all age groups, with older Americans showing the strongest approval.
Cast Your Vote: Do you support the FTC’s “click to cancel” rule?