
Xiaomi denies censoring users after Lithuania recommends avoiding Chinese smartphones
- Xiaomi said it ‘does not censor communications to or from its users’ after Lithuania said the Chinese company could turn on such a feature remotely
- Lithuania recommended this week that consumers avoid Chinese phones amid an ongoing diplomatic spat between the two countries
In a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday, a Xiaomi spokesman said its device “does not censor communications to or from its users”.
“Xiaomi has never and will never restrict or block any personal behaviours of our smartphone users, such as searching, calling, web browsing or the use of third-party communication software,” the statement said.
Don’t buy Chinese phones, throw them away if you have, Lithuania says
“Xiaomi fully respects and protects the legal rights of all users,” it added.
The National Cyber Centre’s report also said the Xiaomi phone was sending encrypted phone usage data to a server in Singapore, which could be against European data regulations.
The Xiaomi spokesman said: “Xiaomi complies with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.”
Deputy Defence Minister Margiris Abukevicius told Reuters the ministry shared its report with cybersecurity officials from other European Union nations and the United States on Wednesday.

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Taiwanese missions in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei, avoiding a reference to the island itself, which China claims as its own territory.
