Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV – As digital health technologies become embedded in everyday life, a new report from UL Standards & Engagement finds that consumers are adopting these tools faster than they are evaluating their safety. Released during CES® 2026, the research shows that most consumers assume digital health products on the market are already safe, highlighting the imperative of standards and certification to sustaining trust and enabling innovation.
“Digital health tools are increasingly popular in daily life, yet most consumers are not equipped — or don’t feel that they have to consider — the safeguards behind them,” said Jeff Marootian, president and CEO of UL Standards & Engagement. “That dynamic creates an implicit trust contract that places real responsibility on manufacturers. Standards and certification have the power to turn assumed trust into earned trust, allowing innovation to scale responsibly while protecting consumers.”
Key takeaways of the report include:
- Consumers trust by default, not by design. Nearly 80% of consumers can’t name a digital health standard, yet most assume products on the market are safe and reliable — placing responsibility squarely on manufacturers to uphold that trust.
- AI raises the stakes for confidence. Only about one in five consumers say they are very comfortable with AI-driven health insights, citing concerns about accuracy, consent, and accountability. Executives identify AI governance as the top priority for future standards development.
- Standards conformance is a competitive strategy. Nearly 69% of executives say they embed standards and certification directly into product development and R&D, viewing conformance as essential to market readiness, partnerships, and consumer trust.
ULSE develops standards that address the safety, security, and sustainability of emerging technologies, including digital health products. The value of these standards comes through in the report, showing that executives view standards and certification not as a compliance exercise, but as a strategic foundation to earn consumer trust, particularly as digital health tools evolve toward more data-intensive and AI-driven applications.
“As digital health solutions become more advanced and connected, trust becomes critical currency,” said Kerri Haresign, senior director of technology and standards at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®. “Compliance with standards help offer confidence for consumers, partners, and the broader health ecosystem.”
The report will be featured during a ULSE-hosted panel at CES exploring the gap between consumer trust and digital health innovation, and the role of standards and certifications as a bridge. Panelists include: Nan-Wei Gong, CEO at FIGUR8; John Lopos, CEO at the National Sleep Foundation; Kerri Haresign, senior director of technology & standards at CTA; and moderator Lesley Rohrbaugh, head of insights and policy analysis at ULSE.
The full report is available to download here.
MEthoDology
These results were taken from two separate UL Standards & Engagement Insights surveys conducted in November 2025 to provide a comprehensive view of how safety standards influence both consumer behavior and business innovation in the digital health sector. All studies were designed and formulated by UL Standards & Engagement. Surveys were administered online by NewtonX.
The consumer study of 1,000 U.S. adults has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3% at 95% confidence for aggregate results; sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data. The business executive study of 84 senior decisionmakers at companies that design, build, or operate digital health technologies for wellness and/or medical use has a margin of sampling error of +/- 9% at 95% confidence for aggregate results; sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data. As with any survey, sampling error is only one source of possible error. While non-sampling error cannot be accurately calculated, precautionary steps were taken in all phases of the survey design and the collection and processing of the data to minimize its influence.
Note: All numbers are percentages unless otherwise noted. Figures may not total 100% due to rounding.
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About UL Standards & Engagement
UL Standards & Engagement is a nonprofit organization that translates safety science into action through standards development, partnerships, and advocacy. Since 1903, we have developed nearly 1,700 standards and guidance documents for products ranging from fire doors to autonomous vehicles. ULSE enables innovation and grows trust by convening experts and informing policymakers and regulators as we work toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Visit ULSE.org for more information.