When it comes to privacy, especially in the field of technology, we must always be cautious in making judgments and above all in making accusations, let alone when these even lead to espionage. And the most important Chinese telephony companies, such as Xiaomi, OnePlus and OPPO, which in recent years have grown in terms of sales and above all of popularity in the Western market, are paying on their skin, thanks to distinguished devices. with an excellent quality / price ratio.
To put the flea in the ears of users on what lies behind this attractive quality / price ratio, we think the Belgian intelligence services, which without any warning issued a warning of espionage risk against the three brands mentioned.
Belgian State Security spokeswoman Ingrid Van Daele said that the intelligence services want to draw consumers' attention to the possible spy threat represented by the 3 Chinese companies, although no specific cases have been detected, based solely on the fact that according to the Minister of Justice of Belgium, Vincent Van Quickenborne, there is a systematic and profound interaction between these companies and the Chinese state.
Neither party has fully clarified their relationship and therefore it is possible that they are hiding a cooperation agreement or something similar. In fact, the Chinese law on national intelligence is highlighted, which obliges all companies to collaborate with the Chinese state.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi has released the following statement in a press release:
Xiaomi, OnePlus and OPPO accused of possible spying from Belgium
There is no firm evidence yet but concerns raised by the Netherlands and the United States of America about the risks in terms of user privacy and national security are reported, as well as concerns of the Indian government, which in 2020 banned the use of 52 Chinese apps. Therefore Belgium has advised its citizens to be vigilant and prudent in the use of smartphones from brands such as Xiaomi, OnePlus and OPPO, not recommending their purchase. Only the Belgian spokesperson of OPPO responded to these accusations, claiming that the company maintains positive relations with the governments of the more than 40 countries in which the brand is present, working in compliance with all local laws and regulations.
An open and delicate question, which is partly strange, since there are no revealing investigations of these allegations of espionage. But above all it is even more strange that the accusations are based on the never ascertained assumptions of governments such as the American one, which on the other hand hosts companies such as Facebook and Google itself, which make use of their users and their privacy, to say the least. poco questionable. Just think of the many reports about being spied on by Google by means of smartphone microphones or the storms that Facebook has experienced about the stealing of its subscribers' data.
These companies also collaborate with the government and other organizations, so why should we be surprised or even shocked if Chinese smartphone makers do the same with their government?