No evidence of censorship in Xiaomi phones, says watchdog

The illustration taken September 28, 2021 shows the logo of Xiaomi next to a smartphone of the same brand. REUTERS Dado Ruvic Illustration

BERLIN, Jan 13, Reuters -- Germany's federal cybersecurity watchdog, the BSI, has not found any evidence of censorship functions in mobile phones manufactured by China's Xiaomi Corp 1810. A spokesman for HK said on Thursday.

Lithuania's state cybersecurity body had said in September that Xiaomi phones had a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as Free Tibet Long Live Taiwan Independence or Democracy movement. The BSI started an examination after these accusations, which lasted several months. The BSI was unable to identify any anomalies that would require further investigation or other measures, according to a spokesman for the BSI.