So, OnePlus is collecting user data from OnePlus phones. That much is no surprise. Apple and Google do that, too, for various reasons — OnePlus isn't any different. The problem is: OnePlus collects data non-anonymously, meaning whatever information it gets can be traced back to a specific device.
Did You Know OnePlus Is Collecting Your Data?
That's what the beloved smartphone upstart is currently embroiled in now, with the extent of its data collection process revealed. Its custom Android software, OxygenOS, powering OnePlus phones has been found to have a built-in data collection program that users were automatically enrolled in.
The goal of the program was simple and not much different from similar data collection software on other devices: to let OnePlus gather information from a large number of users in order to gauge what services it needs to improve on. However, reports have revealed that the program was also pulling sensitive personal data such as cellphone numbers, Wi-Fi details, and MAC addresses.
What Sort Of Information Was Oneplus Collecting?
Developer Christopher Moore first noticed this type of activity, revealing in a blog post that OnePlus collected quite a lot of his personal data, including "mobile network(s) names and IMSI prefixes, as well as my wireless network ESSID and BSSID and, of course, the phone's serial number."
OnePlus has responded to the controversy by saying data collection was optional, and that users could disable it by going into the phone's settings. Still, it meant that vast amounts of data were being sent to the company's servers without users knowing. Many of them might not have been aware they could opt out.
OnePlus Cofounder Carl Pei Speaks Up On Data Collection
The company, as cofounder Carl Pei announced in the OnePlus forums, will now implement changes to OxygenOS that'll make data collection an opt-in situation.
"By the end of October, all OnePlus phones running OxygenOS will have a prompt in the setup wizard that asks users if they want to join our user experience program," Pei began. "The setup wizard will clearly indicate that the program collects usage analytics."
What's more, Pei also said OnePlus will stop collecting phone numbers, Wi-Fi information, and MAC addresses, and that it "will include a terms of service agreement that further explains our analytics collection."
Pei seems to indicate in his post that OnePlus's data collection was purely analytical, which makes sense because analytics is always important for companies to make sure they know what the user experience is like. What's not clear, however, is why it needed to collect MAC addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive information in the first place. This, unfortunately, hasn't been addressed by OnePlus.
Thoughts about OnePlus's data collection program? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
