Xiaomi responds to claim that Mi Browser tracks you even in incognito mode – Latest News

NEW DELHI: A cybersecurity consultant has claimed that Xiaomi’s default internet browser tracks users even when they opt for incognito mode. Earlier, another security researcher named Gabi Cirlig was quoted in a report by
Forbes claiming that his Redmi Note 8 phone was tracking his Mi Browser usage. “It’s a backdoor with phone functionality,” I said about his new Xiaomi phone in the report.

In response to this, Xiaomi India MD and global VP Manu Jain released a detailed statement. Rejecting the claim, I’ve stressed that Xiaomi doesn’t collect any data without users’ permission. He further added that the data of Mi Cloud and Mi Browser of all Xiaomi users in India is stored locally in AWS servers.

In a related blog post, Xiaomi said, “In all global markets where Xiaomi is officially present, in order to offer the best possible user experience, increase compatibility between the operating system and various apps, as well as undertake the obligation of protecting user privacy , all collected usage data is based on permission and consent given explicitly by our users. Additionally, we ensure the whole process is anonymous and encrypted. The collection of aggregated usage statistics data is used for internal analysis, and we do not link any personally identifiable information to any of this data. Furthermore, this is a common solution adopted by internet companies around the world to improve the overall user experience of various products, while safeguarding user privacy and data security. ”

Coming back to the video, the consultant named Andre Tierney says, “Xiaomi Mint Browser (and several others produced by them) send the URLs you visit to remote servers – whilst you are in normal browsing mode or Incognito mode. These are tied to a UUID which is the same day-to-day, and the same between normal browsing and Incognito. ”

The Forbes report claims the Xiaomi phone “was also recording what folders I opened and to which screens I swiped, including the status bar and the settings page. All of the data was being packaged up and sent to remote servers in Singapore and Russia, though the Web domains they hosted were registered in Beijing. ”