Chinese smartphones are spying on us: data is leaking to China, and maybe to Russia

Chinese smartphones are a real privacy nightmare, according to cybersecurity experts from several universities in the UK and Ireland, writes Gizmodo. The researchers analyzed all popular models from well-known Chinese manufacturers, including brands such as Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo, and found that they constantly send information about their owner to China.

According to the study, smartphones made in China send users’ personal data through the OS, as well as through pre-installed applications that are almost impossible to remove. Your personal data goes not only to the device manufacturer, but also to service providers such as Baidu. Given the private sector’s close ties to the Chinese government, this is more than unfortunate.

Of course, any modern device, one way or another, collects and sends data about its owner for marketing purposes. But it is one thing when a European or American company does this, strictly adhering to laws and privacy policies, and quite another thing when your data is collected by the government of an authoritarian country, such as China, for its incomprehensible purposes. Besides, who will guarantee that your personal data will not be leaked to “reliable partners”, namely to Russia? Now imagine that the personal data of our military, who use Chinese smartphones at the front and at home, can be sent.

Cybersecurity experts conducted a network analysis of many Chinese smartphones and found that they send “home” phone numbers and permanent device identifiers of the owner, data about his location, as well as data related to “social ties” (contacts, their phone numbers, and also SMS). They can also send your photo (using Face ID) and fingerprint information, as well as samples of your voice. Moreover, the data is sent regardless of how carefully you set up the privacy of your device and refused intrusive offers to turn on geolocation.

In other words, the Chinese government will have a pretty clear idea of ​​who is using a particular device, where they are doing it, and who they are talking to. Interestingly, Chinese smartphones try to send spy data even if no SIM card is inserted into the smartphone.

It would seem that modern man has no way out – everything is made in China. It remains only to choose from Apple products and South Korean Samsung. All other brands have long and tightly laid down under China.

Earlier , Focus wrote that a Chinese spy device with a SIM card was found in the car of British ministers.