In recent research conducted by Lithuania Defence Ministry, Xiaomi phones have been found to have built-in censorship capabilities. The National Cyber Security Centre of Lithuania claims that Mi 10T 5G’s inbuilt capability had been found turned off for the European Union Region but could be turned on anytime they wanted. Following this, the Lithuania ministry asked the consumers to throw away Xiaomi devices and not buy them in the future.
Their report says that Xiaomi’s flagship phones can detect and censor terms like “Free Tibet”, “Democracy Movement” and “Long live Taiwan” etc. Defence Minister Margiris Abukevicius said, “Our recommendation is to not buy new Chinese phones, and to get rid of those already purchased as fast as reasonably possible.”
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Now Xiaomi has responded to these claims in a statement given to Gadgets 360 saying, “Xiaomi’s devices do not censor communications to or from its users. Xiaomi has never and will never restrict or block any personal behaviors of our smartphone users, such as searching, calling, web browsing, or the use of third-party communication software. Xiaomi fully respects and protects the legal rights of all users. Xiaomi complies with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)”.
This tussle could be a result of the sour relations between Lithuania and China. Recently China demanded Lithuania to withdraw its ambassador in Beijing after Taiwan announced that its mission in Lithuania would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office. Another bone of contention is that Taiwan uses the name of city Taipei in its missions in Europe and the US, but naming its newest mission on the island’s name has caused this commotion (because China claims that territory as its own).
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Cyber Security’s report also claimed that the Xiaomi phone was sending encrypted phone usage data to a server in Singapore. Huawei’s P40 has also landed in trouble as it is said to have a security flaw. P40’s app gallery supposedly directed users to third-party app stores if one could not find the desired app installed while stating that many of these third-party app stores are a carnival of malicious apps. Huawei also denied the claim when its representative in the Baltics told a news channel that its phones don’t send any user’s data externally.
The report says that there are around 449 terms in Xiaomi’s phone’s system apps that could be censored. “This is important not only to Lithuania but to all countries which use Xiaomi equipment,” Centre said. As per the NCSC’s report, Xiaomi phones download a file called “MiAdBlacklistConfig” which has several titles, names, and information about religious and political groups. Those 449 terms have been found in this file only.
