Beijing-based smartphone maker Xiaomi may have landed itself in a soup as the Taiwanese government is investigating it for cyber security threats.
Whether the inquiry may lead to a ban on Xiaomi devices in Taiwan is not known at this juncture. A statement posted on Taiwan's executive branch's website reveals that the investigation has been prompted by the fact that some Xiaomi handsets transmit user data by default to the company's servers in Beijing. This action may lead to probable security violations.
Xiaomi is not the only one in the line of fire as Naver Corp-owned messaging service Line is also under scrutiny. Reportedly, Taiwan has debarred all its government employees from using IM services like Microsoft's Windows Live (aka MSN messenger) and Line owing to concerns over security. The cabinet revealed the same in a statement on Tuesday, Sept. 23, but did not divulge the nature of the security concern.
While government employees in Taiwan will be prohibited from downloading the concerned IM service software on their PCs. However, the employees have the freedom to download MSN and Line on their personal phones and PCs.
Concerns pertaining to cyber security came under the scanner earlier in August this year when F-Secure Oyj, a Finland-based computer security company, made allegations against Xiaomi Corp. of gathering and sending private user data to its headquarters in Beijing. The government has been asked to look into the matter of potential security breach and report its findings in three months' time.
The Taiwan government's statement on Sept. 23 night has supposedly been prompted as a result of lawmakers questioning the country's Premier Jian Yi-huah on cyber security. The government has asked the National Communications Commission, Simon Chang (Minister of Science and Technology) and the Industrial Development Bureau to conduct a probe into Xiaomi devices.
In August, in response to F-Secure's concerns, Xiaomi's VP Hugo Barra had apologized "for any concern caused" to its users." At the time, Barra had also revealed that Xiaomi would make the cloud messaging service responsible for gathering and relaying user data opt-in, rather than automatic on its devices.
The current investigation by the Taiwanese government is a reminder of the increasing security breaches as technology advances. The ban on government employees to download MSN and Line on work PCs, is a step by the Taiwanese government to control security violations and unauthorized data gathering.
A Line spokesperson revealed to Reuters that it was investigating the issue. Microsoft, on the other hand, is in any case discontinuing MSN Messenger aka Windows Live Messenger services from Oct. 31 as reported previously.
Xiaomi is yet to comment on the probe.
