Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

'Throw away your Chinese phone,' says Lithuania in new report

'Throw away your Chinese phone,' says Lithuania in new report

A report by the country's cyber security agency found that one Chinese smartphone had built-in censorship tech that could detect terms like "Free Tibet".

Lithuania's defence ministry has advised people to throw away their Chinese smartphones after a new report found that a mobile made by a major brand had built-in censorship capabilities.

Lithuania's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said on Tuesday that the Mi 10T 5G phone made by Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi was able to detect and censor phrases such as "Free Tibet," "Long live Taiwan independence" and "democracy movement".

Apps pre-installed on the phone, such as the Mi internet browser, periodically receive lists of banned words compiled by Xiaomi, the NCSC report said.

Although the functionality is disabled on phones sold in Europe, it has the potential to be activated without the user's knowledge, the NCSC said.

'Get rid of your Chinese phone'


"We found that Xiaomi phones sold in Lithuania had the content filtering function disabled and did not censor content, but censored keyword lists were still sent periodically," said NCSC head of innovation Tatuvydas Bakšys in a statement.

"The device is technically enabled to activate the functionality remotely at any time without the user’s permission and to begin censoring the downloaded content," Bakšys added.

At a presentation announcing the NCSC report, Lithuania's Vice Minister of National Defence Margiris Abukevičius told reporters that consumers should not purchase phones from Chinese manufacturers.

"Our recommendation is to not buy new Chinese phones, and to get rid of those already purchased as fast as reasonably possible," he said.

Data protection concerns


Xiaomi's built-in browser also came under fire from the Lithuanian cyber security service for gathering "excess" amounts of user data, encrypting it and sending it to a server in Singapore, where the EU's GDPR rules do not apply.

Huawei has faced resistance from governments in Europe and the US over claims its 5G infrastructure could compromise data security.


Other phones inspected by the NCSC included the Huawei P40 5G and the OnePlus 8T 5G.

Huawei's built-in app store, AppGallery, posed a security threat to users by automatically redirecting searches to third-party app stores known to host malware, the report said.

No security flaws were discovered in the OnePlus phone, the NCSC said.

Xiaomi did not respond to a Reuters news agency request for comment. A Huawei spokesperson said that the company's phones did not send user data externally.

Lithuania-China relations sour


Lithuania's relations with China have been strained in recent months after the Baltic state allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in its capital Vilnius bearing the name "Taiwan".

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) told Lithuania's foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis the US stood with the Baltic state against China's "economic coercion"


That's unusual. Taiwan tends to go by the name "Chinese Taipei" in matters of international affairs to avoid enraging Beijing, which regards the island as a rebellious, breakaway province of China.

The move resulted in China recalling its ambassador to Lithuania.

Earlier this month Lithuania's ambassador to Beijing returned to Vilnius "for consultations," the country's foreign ministry said.

Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously told Euronews Next that it was keen to pursue "closer economic, trade, cultural and academic relations" with Taiwan.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States supported Lithuania in its dispute with China.

"We stand against economic coercion, including that being exerted by China. And we stand strongly for democracy, including in Belarus, where we're very much working together," he said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Japanese Customer Sways from VW to BYD after “Unbelievable” Test Drive amid Dealership Expansion
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
White House Eyes Budapest for Peace Talks
Cave Diving Beneath the Streets of Budapest
Another American Restaurant Chain Opens in Budapest
Hungarian Opposition Politician Supports Ukrainian Commander
Opposition Leader Threatens Media Outlets
American Airlines Adds New Flights to Budapest
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Wraps Up
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
U.S. Trade Representative says Washington still negotiating trade deals after court rules tariffs illegal
Von der Leyen says Europe drawing up 'precise' plans to send troops to Ukraine
Kremlin accuses Europe of hindering Trump’s peace efforts in Ukraine
×