TECH

Xiaomi is accused of 'spying' you even in anonymous

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has been accused of collecting browsing data without the consent of users. More than that, the new complaint alleges that the company does this during various consumer activities-including if it is with the" anonymous mode " of connected in the browser.
According to Forbes, the company's default browser records, stores and sends out all possible activities. This includes the list of websites visited, searches performed on various systems( including Google and DuckDuckGo), the metadata of the device in question, and even what was consumed in the news feed. To substantiate the allegations, she consulted two security experts, Gabriel Cirlig and Andrew Tierney, who came to the same worrisome conclusions about the lack of privacy.

All tracked
Only the most worrying is in the action of browsers, which includes both the standard on Xiaomi phones and products of the company in the Google Play Store for other devices, such as Mi Browser Pro and Mint Broswer. Apparently, not even the "Anonymous Mode" is respected, and the data is collected anyway.
The video below, for example, proves that the mobile phone records the path made by Mi Browser in private mode-including a visit to a page of pornographic content, something that theoretically should remain anonymous in this form of navigation.
All this information is sent to the company's remote servers in places such as Singapore and Russia, with domains registered in China. And, according to the researchers, this is not done as securely as possible, with an easy-to-resolve encryption. In this way, the data can not only be read by the company, but intercepted and used by potential criminals.
In all, the Xiaomi Mi 10, Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 devices have been tested, which contain similar navigation codes. However, it is quite possible that other devices also have the same vulnerabilities.

The answer from Xiaomi
In response to Forbes 'accusations, the Chinese manufacturer claims that the complaints are "untrue" and that "privacy and security are paramount concerns" for the company, following laws and regulations related to the storage of users ' data.
However, the spokesman confirmed that the company was in fact collecting browsing data with the user's consent, anonymizing identities to prevent people from being tracked.
Xiaomi still denied that the Anonymous Mode did not guarantee the promised privacy, claiming that the suggestions of search terms are " common solutions adopted by internet companies to improve the overall product experience by analyzing information that cannot be individually identified — - something that has been proven to be false by the search using the adult content pages.

Nilton Kleina/mundophone