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Almost Half Of Brits Admit To Peeping At Commuter’s Phones On Public Transport
A new study has found that nearly half of people in Britain admit to sneaking glances at strangers’ phone screens, with younger generations proving particularly prone to the habit.
Research conducted by Samsung Electronics found that 48% of Brits engage in so-called shoulder surfing, while the figure climbs to 74% among Gen Z specifically when it comes to watching others scroll through social media.
Commuters are most at risk, with public transport accounting for 73% of incidents. Cafes came in second at 31%, followed by waiting rooms at 28%.
There’s a clear double standard at play: despite nearly half confessing to the behaviour themselves, two-thirds of respondents said they feel uncomfortable when someone else looks at their screen on public transport.
The findings coincide with Samsung’s announcement of what it calls the ‘world’s first’ Privacy Display, featured on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The technology is designed to restrict what can be seen from side angles, preventing nearby strangers from reading messages or browsing activity.
The research also highlighted just how bold some commuters can be. Around a third of Brits (32%) say they’ve watched someone else open their payslip in public, while 38% have seen fellow passengers scroll back years through someone’s social media profile and zoom in on photos.
Among Gen Z, 58% said they actively enjoy watching TikTok and Instagram feeds over other people’s shoulders.
Opinion on the matter is divided. While 58% of Brits consider even low-level nosiness, such as glancing at texts or dating apps, to be a problem, 59% take the view that using a phone openly in public means accepting that others may see what’s on screen.
Over one in ten (14%) said they wouldn’t know how to react if they realised someone was peering at their device.
Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Samsung UK & Ireland, said: “We’re all naturally inquisitive – it’s human nature to wonder what those around us are doing.
“However, our research shows that people are becoming much more protective of their personal space.
“Whether it’s shielding a social media feed or securing sensitive work data, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display ensures you’re the only one who sees your screen, giving you total peace of mind on a crowded commute.”
Demand for built-in privacy features appears to be growing, with over 59% of Brits saying they’re increasingly drawn to devices that offer them.
Security over personal information (68%) and general safety concerns (52%) were cited as the main motivators. Nearly seven in ten (68%) said they’d like screen privacy protection to be a standard consideration in phone design, and 42% now wait until they’re home before opening sensitive apps such as banking or personal notes.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display works without requiring a separate screen protector, keeping the screen fully visible from the front while limiting what can be seen from the sides.
Britain’s top shoulder-surfing hotspots:
Concerts – 25%
Public Transport – 73%
Cafés – 31%
Waiting Rooms – 28%
Bars – 26%
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