Personal Data on Smartphones

The “in Focus” survey conducted in cooperation with m.core/WU Vienna in October 2025 examined how individuals think about the data stored on their own smartphones. A total of 322 people participated, 50.3 percent of whom were female and 0.6 percent diverse, with an average age of 44.09 years. The focus was on personal information such as location data, contact lists or photos, and on how strongly people perceive ownership, control and the need to protect this data.

How Much Ownership Do People Feel Over Their Smartphone Data?

According to the survey results, participants were asked to indicate on a scale from 1 (Any data) to 7 (My data) the extent to which they feel that the data on their smartphone truly belongs to them. The distribution shows that while some respondents view the data as less personal, a significantly larger portion clearly considers it “my data.”

Differences appear between genders. Female participants tended to feel more ownership over the data on their devices (M = 6.04) than male participants (M = 5.74). Additionally, age plays a role: the older the respondents, the stronger their sense of ownership over their data (r = .203, p < .001).

How Do People Believe Others Perceive Data Ownership and Control?

Another part of the study explored whether respondents’ own perceptions differ from what they believe others experience. According to the findings, participants assumed that people of similar age and gender feel just as little control over their smartphone data as they do themselves. There was no notable difference in this regard (p = .934).

A clearer difference emerged concerning perceived need for protection. Respondents attributed to themselves a significantly stronger need to protect their data, to deny others access, and to maintain ownership over it compared to what they believed others would feel (p < .001 for all three areas). This highlights a gap between self-perception and how others are believed to handle their data.

Conclusion

According to the survey results, people generally perceive their personal smartphone data as something that belongs to them and is worth protecting. Older individuals and women tend to show a stronger sense of ownership. At the same time, respondents attribute a higher need for data protection to themselves than to others.

You can find the full report (in German) here!

published: 27.11.2025