Lithuania asks people to throw away Chinese phones over censorship concerns
September 22, 2021, 4:47 am

Lithuania asks people to throw away Chinese phones over censorship concerns

Tech

The Channel News Asia reported, Lithuania's Defence Ministry recommended that consumers avoid buying Chinese mobile phones and advised people to throw away the ones they have now after a government report found the devices had built-in censorship capabilities.

Lithuania's state-run cybersecurity body said on Tuesday, flagship phones sold in Europe by China's smartphone giant Xiaomi have a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as "Free Tibet", "Long live Taiwan independence" or "democracy movement."

The Defence Ministry's National Cyber Security Centre said in the report, the capability in Xiaomi's Mi 10T 5G phone software had been turned off for the "European Union region", but can be turned on remotely at any time.

Defence Deputy Minister Margiris Abukevicius told reporters in introducing the report: "Our recommendation is to not buy new Chinese phones, and to get rid of those already purchased as fast as reasonably possible."

The CNA said, Xiaomi did not respond to a Reuters query for comment.

Relations between Lithuania and China have soured recently. China demanded last month that Lithuania withdraw its ambassador in Beijing and said it would recall its envoy to Vilnius after Taiwan announced that its mission in Lithuania would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office.

Taiwanese missions in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei, avoiding a reference to the island itself, which China claims as its own territory. US President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to Lithuania's prime minister Ingrida Simonyte last week and stressed support for her country in the face of pressure from China.

The National Cyber Centre's report also said the Xiaomi phone was sending encrypted phone usage data to a server in Singapore.

A security flaw was also found in the P40 5G phone by China's Huawei but none was found in the phone of another Chinese maker, OnePlus, it said. Huawei's representative in the Baltics told the BNS news wire its phones do not send users' data externally.

The report said the list of terms which could be censored by the Xiaomi phone's system apps, including the default Internet browser, currently includes 449 terms in Chinese and is continuously updated.

The Centre said in the report: "This is important not only to Lithuania but to all countries which use Xiaomi equipment."

Source: cna

Taliban asks to address world leaders at UN General Assembly Britain warns food industry Carbon dioxide prices will rise sharply

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”