The recent news that came out from the Forbes stated that the Xiaomi company is secretly recording the user data and sending it to the Chinese servers. The data stolen by Xiaomi includes users’ browser history, accessed services, app usages, music, and video preferences. The cyber researchers also claimed that the theft may also include device identification number which when goes to the team of remote servers can hack our personal data. This data theft of the user can lead to hacking of the phone, blackmailing, and trafficking.
According to Forbes, cybersecurity researchers Gabi Carlig and Andrew verified the Xiaomi web-browsers which can be downloaded by non-Xiaomi users as well. One main thing they identified is that the company can know what the user is browsing even if the user is in incognito mode. The issue was first noted in popular Xiaomi devices like Redmi Note 8, Redmi K20, Mi 10, and others.
Coming to the remote servers to which the data is given, the Xiaomi servers are maintained by the China giant Alibaba company and are leased by Xiaomi. The user data is collected and his internet behavior is tracked and then related products will be displayed on his screen through various app advertisements which will force the user to buy those things. According to Forbes, Xiaomi’s relaying of user data is done using the very rudimentary base64 encoding, which can be intercepted and cracked by malicious users into plain, readable text format.
On the other hand, one of the spokes person from Xiaomi denied this news and stated that “Every company can access the user data and they did the same. However, the company acquires the user data is anonymous and does not know the identity of the user” he added. As the news became widespread in the media circles, the news channels reached the Xiaomi India headquarters and asked for an official statement. The company is keen to address the media tomorrow and would likely clear all the air. It is a very intense issue in India as Xiaomi has 10 million users alone in India and it is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
