China is the world’s third-largest semiconductor hub and number one phone manufacturing country with 67% of the world’s handset production. Yet, modern global media is filled with countless allegations about China using their phone companies to spy on phone users. Are you sure that these accusations are true? Do Chinese phones have built-in spyware? If you are not sure then follow me through this article to find out the truth about whether Chinese phones are spying on us or not. So, let’s not waste any time and get started.
Quick Links
- Key Takeaways
- Are Chinese Phones Spying On Us?
- How Safe Are Chinese Phones?
- Can Chinese Phones Be Trusted? Final Verdict
Key Takeaways
I agree that China is conducting mass espionage on its civilians. Some research indicates that the phone companies are being controlled by the Chinese government and the army. However, I didn’t find any solid proof about the use of Chinese phones to spy on American or European citizens. For now, Chinese phone companies don’t use their smartphones for spying purposes but the future will tell us whether China will use its phones to spy on foreign people or not.
Are Chinese Phones Spying On Us?
China is notoriously known for conducting espionage on its citizens from all over the country. According to researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Dublin, China is home to spy phones. Most of China’s popular smartphone manufacturing companies such as Oppo, Realme, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Huawei, ZTE, etc. are using their phones to spy on Chinese citizens. These phones cultivate vast amounts of data from Chinese citizens and share it with the CCP(China Communist Party) and other subsidiaries of the CCP without their knowledge.
The government alleged Xiaomi for being controlled by the PLA(People’s Liberation Army). In January 2021, the US government banned a Chinese phone manufacturer company known as Xiaomi. However, the ban was lifted in May 2021. So, now you can use Xiaomi’s phones in the USA.
Similarly, other Chinese phone companies like ZTE, Huawei, and more took severe hits from Western nations from 2019 till late covid years.
For instance, Huawei was expelled from installing 5G infrastructure in the USA and France has called off its deal with these Chinese phone companies. The US and French governments considered Chinese phone companies a threat to their national security due to the end of Hong Cong’s British colonization period. They feared that China would take over these telecom and phone manufacturing companies and use Chinese phones to spy on us.
Note: Bear in mind that these companies have diverse operations from smartphone manufacturing to creating high-tech security cameras and telecommunication devices.
In short, Chinese phones are being used to spy on Chinese citizens. However, I didn’t find any evidence of espionage on foreign Chinese phone users. Yet, there is a chance that these smartphones could be used to spy on us.
How Safe Are Chinese Phones?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, China is the biggest phone producer in the world. It makes smartphones for the most prestigious smartphone companies like Apple, Google Pixel, and so on.
Have you experienced any problems with them? I am sure, you already know that Apple and Google Pixel are one of the most reliable smartphones in the market. Similarly, if you purchase a Chinese phone in the USA then I am sure you will hardly find any problem with it because these phones are created for export purposes only.
My personal experience with Chinese-origin smartphones had been a bit skeptical. However, I think that China won’t bait its growing economy for such reasons. In short, you can rely on Chinese phones because they are affordable with good performance.
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Can Chinese Phones Be Trusted? Final Verdict
Should you trust Chinese phones or not? If you are in an important position like a politician, government officer, journalist, business owner, president of a community group, etc. then you should stop using Chinese phones. The reason I say this is because you are one of those 20% of individuals who have a high probability of being watched by the Chinese government. In case, you are a common citizen with an ordinary life then the choice of changing phone brands is up to you.
