Smartphones knowing your 'location, interests and fears' is like the Antichrist, Russian church head says

The Russian Orthodox Church's interpretation of the Antichrist sounds a little bit like Facebook.

In an interview aired Monday, Patriarch Kirill of the church told Russian state TV that smartphones have too much influence over humanity. That control over and knowledge of our "location, interests, and fears" could make us susceptible to the "Antichrist," he said, per The Moscow Times.

Kirill, who leads the church's 100 million members, said he wasn't opposed to technological advancement. But he's worried that, with smartphones, "someone can know exactly where you are, know exactly what you are interested in, know exactly what you are afraid of," per The Associated Press. "Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the world wide web that controls the entire human race," he added.

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Russia has increasingly restricted its citizens' internet access, and is reportedly working on an "independent Russian internet," BBC points out. Kirill is close with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Russian Orthodox priests tend to align with Putin's agenda.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine split from the Russian church Saturday after centuries of oversight, and likely won't be able to keep up with its former leader on Instagram.