no censorship found in smartphones

January 14, 2022 Luisa Rey

At the end of last year, there was news from Lithuania that Xiaomi provided its devices with censorship. Now a German cybersecurity watchdog has looked into this, and they have come to a different conclusion, according to an extensive study.

No censorship at Xiaomi in latest investigation

In September last year, the news came out that Xiaomi provided its devices with changes in the software, related to censorship. Content could be censored and apps could block words. All of this came out in an extensive investigation by a cybersecurity center in Lithuania. They found three security risks in Xiaomi’s devices. Earlier in Belgium, devices from Chinese manufacturers were already labeled as risk telephones.

The German Federal Office for Information Security, abbreviated BSI, has also investigated these findings. According to the German cybersecurity watchdog, this looked at the focus on Germany, where privacy matters are usually even more sensitive. The BSI’s investigation did not reveal any irregularities requiring further investigation or other action. No filter lists were discovered, as was found by Lithuania. The Lithuanian investigation also revealed that various data was sent to Chinese servers. Xiaomi has responded after the publication of the Lithuanian investigation that there is no censorship. According to some media, it could be possible that the filter lists found relate to the advertisements that can be shown, that certain topics are not covered. In the past, Xiaomi has repeatedly come in a negative light regarding privacy.

To today’s news about the German investigation, Xiaomi reacts as follows;

“Xiaomi is pleased that the published results of the survey by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) confirm our commitment to operate transparently and responsibly, with the privacy and security of our customers as a top priority. The survey has shown that we comply with all EU and national data protection and security laws, and with all applicable EU standards for devices. We welcome the exchange with users, regulators and other stakeholders such as the BSI as we are committed to constant improvement and innovation.”