NCC plans security checks for major smartphones

Dylan Bushell-Embling
06 Oct 2014
00:00

Taiwanese regulator NCC will conduct security checks on all major smartphone models available to subscribers after it was discovered that two Xiaomi smartphones still transmit data to Chinese servers.

NCC officials have been asked by the Executive Yuan to examine the core software of smartphones sold in the market for any security holes, Want China Timesreported.

The NCC plans to examine100 of the top-selling smartphones in the nation, from the major brands including Samsung, Apple, Huawei, HTC, Sony and LG.

The investigation is a response to the discovery that Xiaomi's Mi 3 and Redmi 1S still transmit data to overseas servers, some of which are located in mainland China. This happens even if there is no SIM installed and the device is not connected to Wi-Fi, according to the reports.

While Xiaomi upgraded its operating system earlier this year in response to security concerns involved with the transmitting of data to overseas servers, the tests show that some data is still being transmitted.

Xiaomi has stressed that the residual data being sent is system information and not personal data.

Taiwanese legislators last month raised the prospect of banning officials from using Xiaomi smartphones.

According to the NCC, while the agency won't use phones suspected of possibly leaking information, the final decision on whether to ban the phones for government use will rest with the Executive Yuan.

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