Recent survey findings from MTS, summarized for socialbites.ca, reveal notable nerves about smartphone listening among a significant share of Russians. Approximately one in three respondents, about 36 percent, expressed confidence that their devices are listening to everyday conversations. This insight underscores a rising distrust of digital assistants and apps that could access microphones without explicit user permission, even when those permissions appear dormant on the surface.
Beyond listening concerns, the poll shows a second layer of worry: 32 percent fear that a phone could become unusable or a so-called 1brick1 if the device is blocked or restricted by the manufacturer. That sentiment points to anxieties about how hardware controls and software update regimes can tighten over time, potentially limiting consumer choice and mobility. Additionally, roughly 17 percent of respondents admit they deliberately avoid discussing certain topics near their phones to minimize the risk of eavesdropping or data collection, revealing how behavioral caution is weaving into daily habits.
Health and safety perceptions emerge as another recurring theme. Just over a quarter of those surveyed, about 27 percent, associate mobile phones with radiation levels that could pose health risks. In response, many individuals alter their daily routines by keeping phones away from the body or choosing pockets-free configurations for ongoing use, illustrating how health concerns influence device handling and placement in everyday life.
On privacy protection, the survey highlights a split in practice. About 39 percent report turning off geolocation features to curb tracking, yet more than half, 51 percent, continue to use facial recognition or fingerprint unlock features without immediate concern about data exposure. In parallel, around 40 percent of respondents say they refrain from storing provocative images on their smartphones due to worries about unauthorized access. Some users, roughly one in nine, adopt a more cautious stance by retaining provocative content only when internet access is disabled. A smaller segment, about 15 percent, accepts some risk by not deleting provocative photos, while still worrying that someone might reach those images later on.
The geographic breadth of the survey spans major urban centers, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and other large cities. With responses gathered from more than two thousand people aged 18 to 55, the data indicate that attitudes toward privacy, device security, and personal data protection are common across Russia’s urban landscape, not confined to a single region. This urban-wide pattern suggests a broad cultural sensitivity to digital privacy, device integrity, and the trade-offs people make as smartphones become more deeply integrated into daily routines.
In the broader context of digital wellbeing, the country has also seen initiatives aimed at addressing smartphone dependence. An early step involved the creation of an application designed to encourage healthier device usage and to promote a more balanced relationship with technology. This development reflects a growing public interest in digital wellbeing, recognizing the push and pull that comes with devices that are increasingly central to how people live, work, and connect with others. The emergence of such tools signals a trend toward empowering users to monitor and manage their own tech habits, rather than allowing devices to dictate patterns of behavior.