Study Shows Growing Trust Among Russians in Biometrics
Biometric technologies are gradually becoming part of the everyday digital life of Russians. Users use them to unlock smartphones, confirm banking transactions, and pay for purchases. However, the complete abandonment of traditional passwords has not yet become a widespread scenario. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by HONOR, which Izvestia reviewed on March 14.
According to the survey data, the most popular method of data protection remains the password — used by 34.9% of users. At the same time, biometric methods have almost caught up in popularity: 33.8% of Russians unlock their smartphones using a fingerprint, and 21.8% use facial recognition. Another 9.6% of respondents admitted that they do not set any protection on their devices at all.
The study also revealed gender differences in technology use. Women use facial recognition more often — 27.6% compared to 15.8% among men — while fingerprints are more popular among men (40.9% compared to 26.9%). Meanwhile, the highest proportion of users without smartphone locks was recorded in Omsk and Krasnoyarsk.
Nearly half of respondents (47%) use biometrics daily, and another 11.9% use them several times a week. The most active users turned out to be residents of Perm, where more than half of respondents use biometric technologies daily. Among age groups, young people under 25 lead the way.
The most common use case for biometrics remains smartphone unlocking — 64.3% of users do this. More than half (51.4%) use it to log into applications, and 40.5% use it to confirm banking transactions. One in four respondents uses biometrics for online purchases, and about 21% use it to pay for goods in physical stores.
Technologies are also gradually penetrating urban infrastructure. For example, 13.9% of Russians pay for transportation fares using biometrics, and 13.3% use it for workplace access. Biometric locks for homes remain rare for now — only 9.2% of study participants have installed them.
Among the main advantages of the technology, users cite time savings and convenience. About 26% of respondents noted that biometrics allow them to access their device faster than entering a password. Another 16.3% value it for enhanced privacy, and 15.4% use biometrics as an additional layer of protection alongside a traditional code.
Overall, Russians demonstrate a high level of trust in the technology. Nearly 35% are completely confident in the reliability of biometric protection, and another 28.4% tend to trust it. At the same time, 20.1% take a neutral position, while 16.8% still view the technology with distrust.
One of the key factors driving increased trust has been the adoption of biometrics by government and financial services. Nearly half of respondents said they began to trust the technology after it appeared in banking apps and on the Gosuslugi (State Services) portal.
However, some users still have concerns. The main ones relate to the security of personal data and the possibility of fraud. Some respondents also admit that they do not understand where their biometric data is stored or have encountered technical failures of the recognition system.
Regarding the future of the technology, most Russians believe that biometrics and traditional protection methods will coexist in parallel. Nearly 40% of respondents think that passwords will remain as a backup option, and 20.8% believe they will remain for particularly important services.
At the same time, 27.9% of users are ready to fully transition to biometric authentication methods, while more than half have taken a wait-and-see position. Another 17.9% stated that they would prefer to give up some digital services if biometrics became the only means of access.
Analysts at the financial marketplace Vyberu.ru reported on January 20 that the majority of Russians consider data storage security to be a key condition for providing biometrics to microfinance organizations. According to the study, which Izvestia reviewed on January 20, 62% of respondents named the level of cybersecurity as a decisive factor, while another portion of respondents indicated the importance of the ability to revoke data and the lender's reputation.