Last week, the body for the Lithuania’s cybersecurity had made thoughtful accusations at Xiaomi, having found files in smartphones that would have allowed the censorship of users. The company had previously responded by denying these claims. But now he also wants to organize an independent analysis, to prove that you have nothing to hide. And reassure customers and partners.
Xiaomi responds to the accusations of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense
The Lithuanian cybersecurity agency had found a file in the Xiaomi Mi 10T smartphone, MiAdBlocklist. According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense agency, there were lines of code inside that suggested that Xiaomi could remotely censor smartphones of users. In Europe this file was disabled but could have prevented Chinese users from searching information on Taiwan and Tibet, for instance. Already in the original article we had published a denial of Xiaomi. Shortly thereafter, it was also confirmed by XDA researchers, who had explained that it was in all likelihood just a file to block aggressive advertisements.
But now the company, while continuing to disagree on the results of the Lithuanian study, wants to make use of “a independent third party to examine the points raised in the report “.
No censorship and compliant data processing
The company further explains that it has never restricted or ever will limit any personal customer behavior. The Lithuanian report only highlights “Xiaomi’s use of advertising management software that has the limited capacity to manage paid and push advertisements on devices through Xiaomi apps, such as Mi Video and Mi Browser. It is software that can be used to protect users from offensive content. Such as pornography, violence, hate speech and references that could be outrageous to users. It’s a common practice in the smartphone and web industry around the world. “
Furthermore, Xiaomi reiterates that it is “fully compliant with all GDPR requirements, including the management, processing and transfer of end-user data “.
Xiaomi emphasizes that it is “absolutely certain of the integrity of our devices and of the compliance rules that govern our business”. So “we believe the involvement of an external company competent in the matter to carry out the appropriate checks for the benefit of our Partners and our Customers. “
Xiaomi’s message seems to be clear: the company’s smartphones are safe. In addition to being interesting from a commercial point of view: there is a reason that it has outperformed everyone in terms of sales. However, the willingness to organize remains appreciable independent studies to reassure clients and investors. We will update you as soon as the study results are available.