Swiss survey finds widespread belief in discredited conspiracy claims

Nearly half of those surveyed considered a discredited Covid claim plausible. In a study published by the University of Zurich’s Research Centre for the Public Sphere and Society, known as fög, 49.4% of respondents gave some credence to the claim that the coronavirus was deliberately manufactured as a biological weapon in a Chinese laboratory. That figure combines respondents who rated it “rather plausible” and “very plausible.”

Researchers surveyed 1,222 internet users aged 18 to 79 in German- and French-speaking Switzerland in July 2026. They asked participants to assess 12 statements, presented in random order. Six concerned events researchers classified as true or well supported; six were claims they classified as unsupported or implausible. The mix was designed to discourage respondents from automatically rejecting every statement.

The result captures willingness to entertain the claim, not proof that every respondent firmly believed it. But the breadth of that willingness puts misinformation in Switzerland under renewed scrutiny.

Several other unsupported claims also drew substantial acceptance. The claim that political elites encourage immigration into Europe to change its population was considered rather or very plausible by 40.5% of respondents. 36.9% gave some credence to the claim that governments use climate change as a pretext to control people.

The survey found that 36% considered plausible the antisemitic claim that Jewish networks secretly control much of Western politics. Another 33.8% accepted the assertion that 5G communications have been proved to cause serious harm to health. The claim that the US government carried out the September 11 attacks was considered plausible by 28.3%.

The claims are not equivalent in content or history, but the survey measured each against the same response scale. Researchers described them as unsupported or implausible. The Covid statement also made a specific allegation of deliberate manufacture as a biological weapon. It was not simply a question about whether the virus could have had a laboratory-related origin.

Established journalism was linked to lower susceptibility. Respondents who regularly used established news organisations, including public broadcasting and subscription newspapers, were less likely to accept the six unsupported claims than people who consumed little journalism.

The relationship did not extend to every kind of news use. Occasional exposure to news on Instagram and TikTok made no difference, according to the study. Nor did heavy consumption of a broad mix of sources, including social platforms and alternative media. Simply encountering more information was not associated with greater resistance to the claims.

The researchers also found that the ability to identify misleading arguments mattered. People better able to spot cherry-picked evidence, false comparisons and excessive generalisations were less inclined to accept the unsupported claims. Higher education was associated with lower susceptibility, while age and gender were not significantly associated with it. The findings point to news habits and critical reading skills as relevant factors in how people assess claims.

Nearly four-fifths of respondents supported expanding fact-checking teams at news providers. The fög researchers also recommended stronger news provision, more visible fact-checking and education that helps people recognise manipulation and falsehood.

The study suggests that the response involves both access to established reporting and the skills needed to evaluate arguments. Regular use of public broadcasting and subscription newspapers was associated with lower susceptibility, while spotting cherry-picked evidence, false comparisons and sweeping generalisations was also linked to greater resistance.

Those findings offer a practical focus for Swiss newsrooms and educators: make fact-checking visible and help audiences examine how claims are built. The survey’s results also show why that work matters beyond individual platforms. Unsupported claims about Covid-19, immigration, climate policy, Jewish influence, 5G and the September 11 attacks all found some level of acceptance among respondents across the country’s German- and French-speaking regions.