Xiaomi: Chinese smartphone manufacturer in focus of BSI

After Huawei and Honor, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi now also seems to come under public criticism. It has turned out that the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) is taking a close look at the company. The reasons for this are said to be general security vulnerabilities as well as possible accusations of censorship of browser content.

The accusations are widening

The BSI is not the first Western authority to now investigate the allegations, but rather responds to an investigation that is already taking place. For example, Lithuania’s NKSC (Nacionalinio Kibernetinio Saugumo Centro) cybersecurity center has already expressed concerns about Xiaomi complying with general principles on security and censorship. Given the imminent release of the new flagship 11T and 11T Pro, this is really annoying timing for the Chinese company. The BSI investigation came about due to growing pressure from members of the Bundestag from the CDU and SPD parliamentary groups. They used the NKSC’s accusations as the basis for their demand. Only through its own investigation by the BSI could the allegations be investigated in depth and promisingly.

Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G as a source of danger

But how did the Lithuanian authority come up with the idea of considering Xiaomi as a possible threat? The Lithuanian Center for Cybersecurity bases its accusations on a special option that the Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G brings to light. With the help of the setting, it is possible to censor browser content. This option is disabled ex-factory in our region. However, according to NKSC, it is feared that the option will be activated from China. According to the NKSC, such a scenario is possible at any time. The target of the censorship is probably not only pornographic, but also political content. In view of the serious accusations, the Lithuanian government’s indignant reaction is not surprising. Deputy Defense Minister Margiris Abukevicius, for example, advises his countrymen and women to:

“… not to buy new Chinese phones and to get rid of the ones they have already bought as soon as possible.”

Xiaomi is not aware of any blame

Meanwhile, the increasingly popular manufacturer of low-cost smartphone and tablet hardware in this country is not aware of any guilt. Thus, Xiaomi vehemently rejects the accusations. There is currently no censorship and an option described by the Lithuanian authority will not be used in the future. Only a detailed investigation will show how trustworthy these statements are. The fact that the general trust in Chinese smartphones has already been completely destroyed is shown by a regulation that applies to all German federal authorities. Thus, no official cell phones may be used here that originate from a company based in China.

What about other manufacturers?

It almost seems as if Xiaomi’s triumph as a smartphone manufacturer is unstoppable. While the company was a no-name company a few years ago, it is now successful worldwide. In the second quarter of 2021, for example, Xiaomi was able to take second place among the most successful smartphone manufacturers globally. Samsung is (still) in first place. Xiaomi certainly benefits a bit from the US embargo, which prevents Huawei from regaining a foothold in Western markets. However, it is quite possible that the now raised security concerns could have a similar consequence. Incidentally, the option integrated into Xiaomi’s smartphone is by no means common for Chinese smartphones. For example, the Lithuanian authority also found out that comparable shortcomings do not exist at the manufacturer OnePlus. In contrast, there would only be slight concerns at Huawei. We are curious about the BSI’s results.