Lithuania warns of censorship software on phones of the Chinese brand Xiaomi. Government Experts advise consumers to stop buying the company’s smartphones and throw away old devices.
According to the experts, the censorship software detects and blocks texts that are sensitive in China. These include statements such as ‘Tibet must be liberated’, ‘long live Taiwan’s independence’ and ‘Democratic Movement’.
“Our recommendation is not to buy new Chinese phones. And to get rid of devices that have already been purchased as soon as possible,” said Deputy Minister of Defense Margiris Abukevicius when presenting an investigation report with the allegations.
The censorship function would be on Xiaomi’s Mi 10T 5G device and currently not activated in the European Union. Cyber experts from the Lithuanian government point out that this filter can be turned on remotely.
The cybercentre report states that currently 449 Chinese terms can be censored on the Xiaomi phone. The list of prohibited terms would also be continuously updated. The device would also send encrypted data to a server in Singapore.
The Lithuanian researchers say that their findings are also relevant for other countries where Xiaomi devices are used.
