Is Xiaomi Recording Personal Data
A cybersecurity researcher, Gabi Cirlig has found that his Xiaomi phones were tracking user behavior, usage patterns, and various data.
A cybersecurity researcher, Gabi Cirlig was using Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8. He found that his Xiaomi phone was tracking his behavior, usage patterns, and various data. Cirlig found that the mobile recorded his web browsing history even when the phone was in incognito mode. It recorded the folders that he opened on the device, including the status bar and the settings page. It recorded which songs Cirlig was listening to and when. Cirlig even said that the recorded data was then sent to the servers of a Chinese company, Alibaba, which may be rented by Xiaomi. Cirlig also tested a few other Xiaomi devices – Xiaomi Mi 10, Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 and found that they are also recording user data.
As Cirlig said, many more millions may be affected by this serious privacy issue.
Xiaomi’s USP is cheap devices that have many of the same qualities as higher-end smartphones. But for customers, that low cost could come with a hefty price: their privacy. In reply to the research, Xiaomi said, “The research claims are untrue and Privacy and security is of top concern.” They also said Xiami strictly follows the laws and regulations on user data privacy matters. But they said that their mobiles record data for analysis. All data is recorded after receiving permission from the user. On May 3, Xiaomi announced that in its next update, it will allow customers to stop their visited websites being recorded.
