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The company claims that it does not collect data without user permission.
The Chinese company Xiaomi illegally monitors users, according to security specialist Gabi Cirlig (Gabi Cirlig). The researcher came to this conclusion after he noticed that his brand new smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 monitors all his actions on the device and sends information to remote servers rented from another Chinese tech giant Alibaba.
According to Zirlig, the default Xiaomi browser records data on all sites visited, including search queries on Google and DuckDuckGo, and viewed materials in the news feed. At the same time, data is recorded even in the “Incognito” activated mode. Interestingly, the transmitted information was encrypted using the unreliable base64 algorithm, as a result, the specialist needed only a few seconds to decrypt the data.
The device also recorded information about open folders, switching screens, including the status bar and settings page. Further, all information was sent to servers in Singapore and Russia, although their domains are registered in Beijing.
At the request of Forbes, researcher Andrew Tierney conducted further investigation and found that the Mi Browser Pro and Mint Browser browsers (their total number of downloads exceeds 15 million) collect similar data.
According to Zirlig, the problem affects other models of smartphones of the Chinese manufacturer, in particular, Xiaomi MI 10, Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. Firmware devices contain the same browser code as Redmi Note 8, and this may indicate the same privacy issues.
Xiaomi, in turn, claims that all statements are not true, the company strictly enforces compliance with local laws regarding data security. According to Xiaomi Vice President and Head of the Indian Division of Xiaomi, Manu Kumar Jain, Mi Browser does not collect data without the permission of users, and the information collected in the “Incognito” mode is fully encrypted and anonymized.
Xiaomi also announced that it will add an incognito switch for data collection in the Mi Browser and Mint Browser browsers, allowing users to turn off tracking their actions and other data on their own.
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The Chinese company Xiaomi illegally monitors users, according to security specialist Gabi Cirlig (Gabi Cirlig). The researcher came to this conclusion after he noticed that his brand new smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 monitors all his actions on the device and sends information to remote servers rented from another Chinese tech giant Alibaba.
According to Zirlig, the default Xiaomi browser records data on all sites visited, including search queries on Google and DuckDuckGo, and viewed materials in the news feed. At the same time, data is recorded even in the “Incognito” activated mode. Interestingly, the transmitted information was encrypted using the unreliable base64 algorithm, as a result, the specialist needed only a few seconds to decrypt the data.
The device also recorded information about open folders, switching screens, including the status bar and settings page. Further, all information was sent to servers in Singapore and Russia, although their domains are registered in Beijing.
At the request of Forbes, researcher Andrew Tierney conducted further investigation and found that the Mi Browser Pro and Mint Browser browsers (their total number of downloads exceeds 15 million) collect similar data.
According to Zirlig, the problem affects other models of smartphones of the Chinese manufacturer, in particular, Xiaomi MI 10, Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. Firmware devices contain the same browser code as Redmi Note 8, and this may indicate the same privacy issues.
Xiaomi, in turn, claims that all statements are not true, the company strictly enforces compliance with local laws regarding data security. According to Xiaomi Vice President and Head of the Indian Division of Xiaomi, Manu Kumar Jain, Mi Browser does not collect data without the permission of users, and the information collected in the “Incognito” mode is fully encrypted and anonymized.
Xiaomi also announced that it will add an incognito switch for data collection in the Mi Browser and Mint Browser browsers, allowing users to turn off tracking their actions and other data on their own.
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