The problem of collecting personal data has long been and remains on the periphery of interest on the part of Russians, being in the second echelon of topics of public discourse that are important to them. Citizens traditionally rely not on themselves, but on government agencies in this matter, with little or no reflection on how protected they actually are from potential risks. Privacy in our world is becoming illusory; any action on the Internet a priori implies a citizen’s refusal to have reasonable expectations for the safety of posted data. Various companies often use this for different purposes, including interference in socio-political processes. In this article, based on materials from a quantitative study conducted in April–May 2023 among 1,000 residents of the Republic of Mordovia, surveyed using a representative quota sample, we examine their attitude towards the practices of collecting personal data from companies. The results of the study show that every second respondent does not know that companies collect personal data about users on social networks and can subsequently use it to their advantage. Such practices are subject to severe obstruction: the vast majority experience expressed negative emotions in relation to them, such as hostility, irritation, fear, disgust, and hatred. The consequence of this is a low level of trust in these types of companies. It was revealed that, with a high degree of probability, the main predictor of awareness of the practices of collecting personal data is the type of place of residence – the indicator increases noticeably in the regional capital and decreases beyond its borders. Another parameter that could potentially have an impact is the level of education; as a rule, greater awareness is recorded among people who have ever studied at a university. The problem of perceptions of personal data collection may have significant implications for social theory as a whole. Even classic works in the field of sociology postulate that, as soon as individuals become aware of excessive control from others, they are forced to change their behavior, and sometimes this becomes the cause of a number of destructive phenomena (for example, increased suicide rates). Managing privacy regimes is becoming an important idea, but it must be of a conscious nature to individuals; they must take a responsible approach to signing user agreements and building behavioral boundaries on the Internet and social networks.