Xiaomi, Which Stumbles On Its User Privacy Data Problems

Xiaomi Ilustrasi produk (Photo by Toro Tseleng on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Xiaomi is in trouble because it is suspected of collecting user privacy data via the Redmi Note 8 smartphone. The cellphone is claimed to have recorded all activities carried out by its users.

This case was first discovered by a researcher from Cybersecurity Gabi Cirlig on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 smartphone. According to him, the cellphone is actively sending the location and browser history from the cellphone to the remote server belonging to the Alibaba e-commerce site that has been rented by Xiaomi.

Not only the Redmi Note 8 cellphone, several other cellphones such as the Redmi K20, Mi 10 and Mi Mix 3 are also rumored to have the same problem. "My concern is that the data sent to the server can easily be correlated with user activity," said Cirlig, as summarized from the Forbes page, Monday, May 4.

According to Cirlig, the data recording activity will still occur even when the browser is in incognito mode. Even though the essence of this mode is used to surf the internet privately, on certain sites.

Similar findings were also made by security researcher Andrew Tierney who revealed that the Mi Browser Pro browser and Mint Browser made by Xiaomi had recorded user activity and history simultaneously.

Xiaomi also denied this accusation and said rumors of his cellphone were recording the activity of its users. Xiaomi fully complies with laws and regulations regarding the privacy of its user data.

"Xiaomi has reviewed a recent article by Forbes on our privacy policy and believes that its reporting does not represent facts. At Xiaomi, the privacy and security of our users is the top priority," commented a Xiaomi spokesperson.

Xiaomi says that the collection of its usage data is given explicit permission by its customers, and the process is anonymous as well as encrypted. The data is used for internal analysis, without correlating any information that could be used to identify each individual.

The cellphone manufacturer from China also said that the accusations were not as accurate as facts about the cellphones it made. This is because data collection is meant as 'internal analysis' as a recap of the compatibility of the operating system with the various applications it runs on.

"The feature update in incognito mode is useful for enabling / disabling aggregate data collection, in an effort to further strengthen the control we provide to users instead of sharing their own data with Xiaomi. A software update will be sent to Google Play for approval today, "said the Xiaomi.

The latest update options for the Xiaomi app are also available on the Google Play Store, for Mi Browser and Mi Browser Pro version 12.1.4 and Mint Browser version 3.4.3.