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Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

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Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#41

Post by SquareWheel »

aroman wrote: post #11

I recently bought a Xiaomi phone (Poco m3) for development. I was shocked to learn that in order to enable USB debug mode in developer settings, I needed to BOTH : 1) make a Xiaomi account with and 2) insert a SIM card to the device (!) Is that not insane? Other people seem to think so too: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/186052 Apparently the only alternative to this is rooting the device, which may break it.

I ran into the exact same thing. And because I don't have a SIM card (it's an at-home "tablet"), I have no way to enable USB debugging. Pretty frustrating.

If Lineage starts supporting this device, I'll definitely move over from MIUI.

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#42

Post by gkbrk »

sandworm101 wrote: post #24

>>The article accuses Xiaomi of exfiltrating a history of all visited websites. Is this our definition of spyware? I see countless articles float by on HN about super cookies, spy pixels and browser fingerprinting. Those do effectively the same things, track users against their expressed wishes, but we just don't call them spyware.

>We just don't call them spyware.

Who doesn't call trackers spyware? Everyone with a slightly-above-average sense of privacy has been calling them spyware and blocking them for years.

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#43

Post by okl »

dangwu wrote: post #10
phpisatrash wrote: post #2

Really interesting. But whether what Xiaomi browser does it's a spyware, what's is Google? Does Google collects our navigation data? (Yes if we are using chrome or android and logged in) Does Google knows what videos and what kind of videos do we watch? (Do you need an answer?) Call it's a spyware because is a chinese company? Really? Nah. Google does the same or at least worst than it. I'm neither defending Xiami no…

They're definitely both spyware at this point. Shoutout to Firefox, which makes a conscious effort to block tracking cookies and not collect data.

By the grace of their benefactor (Google)?

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#44

Post by walrus01 »

serial_dev wrote: post #34
MisterTea wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same could be said for countries outside of the USA buying US tech equipment.

I agree, people give US companies way to much slack... But then what am I supposed to do if I'm European? The US and China pretty much covers the mobile market (and what's not covered is still not European).

From a purely pragmatic point of view: If you're European...?

Consider that your country is likely either already a five eyes member, or a "five eyes plus" member with a historical record going back 45+ years of intelligence/law enforcement data sharing between the various NATO governments' intelligence agencies.

And take a risk calculation, based on what you're doing in your life, if all your metadata and traffic was in the hands of the NSA, what's the most likely end result that might affect you adversely?

Are you actually at risk of being persecuted for anything you're doing socially, religiously, politically? For instance, if you're a German, is all of your data being in the hands of the BND going to result in anything bad happening to you?

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#45

Post by ignoramous »

kzawisto wrote: post #23

Xiaomi is awesome phone for it's price tag you just needs to flash custom ROM like LineageOS. And they don't even make this problem contrary to other manufacturers like Samsung.

> Xiaomi is awesome phone for it's price tag you just needs to flash custom ROM like LineageOS.

There is likely tonnes of binaries that run outside of Android, so OEM you choose matters too.

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#46

Post by kuratkull »

La1n wrote: post #5
Darmody wrote: post #3

I'm using a firewall to block tens of IP addresses and several apps. Why would Xiaomi tell me to download a 26MB update from their store if the one from Google Play, where I downloaded the app it's less than 15MB? I'll be getting rid of this phone by the end of the month.

Most Xiaomi phones are relatively easy to root/unlock and install a new rom on.

I have had 3 Xiaomi phones over the years. Their proprietary bootloader-unlocker tool has always taken a good day or two of work to get the phone unlocked when I don't have adb tools /drivers installed from the get-go. Their utility gives me failures/errors/denials/"your social credit is too low" (i don't live in/near China) dozens and dozens of times before it finally decides to unlock my phone for me. I'm pretty sure my next phone won't be a Xiaomi, though it's hard to find sanely priced non-Chinese phones with good ROM coverage these days.

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#47

Post by mads »

cwhiz wrote: post #29

Chinese browser collects your data? Spyware. American company collects your data? $1,400,000,000,000 valuation. This reminds me of how we call Russian billionaires "oligarchs" but we just call American billionaires...billionaires.

Yes, I think everyone got the memo about American companies. Thanks though..

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#48

Post by [deleted] »

sandworm101 wrote: post #24

>>The article accuses Xiaomi of exfiltrating a history of all visited websites. Is this our definition of spyware? I see countless articles float by on HN about super cookies, spy pixels and browser fingerprinting. Those do effectively the same things, track users against their expressed wishes, but we just don't call them spyware.

[deleted]

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#49

Post by walrus01 »

lucideer wrote: post #37
walrus01 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure that a Chinese citizen would see the NSA as an equal or greater threat. The difference from my perspective is that as a citizen of a NATO country with a functioning democracy, I'm highly unlikely to be rounded up by my government and put in a prison or concentration camp for expressing my political opinions or religion. You only need to look at the past several years of news from Hong Kong and the Uyghur/Xin…

I'm not 100% sure from your comment whether you're making out that: (a). China is bad (yes, known) (b). The US is not quite as bad (debatable but for the sake of argument lets agree that this is true) (c). The US is benign My comment was only refuting the 3rd supposition. I'm not sure if you actually believe this is true. Though terms such as "country with a functioning democracy" make me think you might...

My point was absolutely not (c). The US has a vast and complex array of sociopolitical, economic disparity, racism, police brutality issues, some of which have been highlighted throughout 2020. But I definitely consider it to be the lesser of two evils.

Re: Are Xiaomi browsers spyware? Yes, they are (2020)

#50

Post by sodality2 »

kzawisto wrote: post #30
nottorp wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why would you have to root and reflash it? Couldn't they, you know, respect their customer instead?

They respect their customer by selling hardware 50% off compared to Samsung and 80% off compared to apple. Having this with custom rom is a bargain imho.

How do you trust the hardware? Granted, how do you trust the hardware in any phone. But the risk may be higher if the entire production chain is in the one country with privacy/surveillance abuses.
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