New research from the University of Edinburgh and Trinity College Dublin highlights a concerning issue with some of the leading Chinese Android smartphones. In China, which is the largest smartphone market globally, over 70% of devices run on Android. The study found that certain brands, such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Oppo Realme, collect and transmit large amounts of personal data without user consent.

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The phones in question come pre-installed with a significant number of system and vendor apps that have questionable privileges enabled by default. These applications actively collect and send sensitive information related to the device, location, user profile, and even social relationships. Even for privacy-conscious users who opt out of analytics and don’t use cloud storage or third-party services, the phones still send unique information about the device and the user, such as device identifiers, GPS coordinates, app usage patterns, call and SMS history, and contact numbers. Unfortunately, users are not notified about this data transmission, and there is no way to opt out. The collected data can easily be linked back to the individual and used for tracking purposes.

The research was conducted on devices sold in China and running local Android distributions, so international consumers may not be affected. However, for those who purchased their devices in China, such as business travelers or students, it’s important to be aware that the study found the data collection practices remain unchanged even after leaving the country.

It’s worth noting that the Chinese versions have way more pre-installed third-party apps and are granted eight to ten times more permissions compared to international versions intended for consumers in Europe and other regions. A lot of it might have to do with international regulations and policies that gatekeep these dangerous permissions, but phones purchased in China are definitely clear of those laws. 

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