Is OnePlus Spying on You? US To Investigate Shocking Data Transfer Claims
OnePlus is considered one of the strongest Android brands that entered the US market, establishing itself as a fierce competitor to the likes of Samsung and Motorola. However, with the ongoing strained relationship between the US government and China due to security and trade concerns, the company might be in hot water following allegations that their devices are collecting and transmitting data to Chinese servers without user consent.
A Call to Investigate OnePlus in the US
US lawmakers Republican John Moolenaar (MI) and Democratic Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL) have reportedly raised concerns and called on the US Department of Commerce to investigate OnePlus over a probable violation of user privacy and data collection practices.
In a letter purportedly sent to the agency, the lawmakers accused OnePlus of the "potential" collection and transmission of sensitive user data, including media like screenshots, by OnePlus smartphones and tablets in the US to servers in China without clear user consent.
The two lawmakers have not presented direct evidence for the allegation but reportedly refer to findings from an analysis by an unnamed commercial company. Hence, this claim remains unsubstantiated until hard evidence is presented.
OnePlus is Yet to Comment
Since the report surfaced, OnePlus has not yet provided an official statement that addresses the allegation from the congressmen. Simultaneously, the US government, along with other agencies, has not released any statement warning users of potential data privacy risks with OnePlus devices.
However, what is apparent at the moment is that OnePlus is the latest Chinese company to be subjected to the stricter policy by the US regarding user data collection, which the Chinese government may use to spy on and influence US citizens.
This follows ByteDance's TikTok, which still faces a possible ban in the US for the same concern of the short video app potentially putting user data at risk of being accessed by the Chinese government.
It's not only the USA that has rolled out similar measures; this also includes countries like India, which banned the app entirely, and Canada and Australia, which restricted the use of Chinese apps on government devices.
What are your thoughts on this accusation? Do you think that Chinese devices from brands like OnePlus are forcibly collecting and transmitting your data without your consent? We want to hear your answers in the comments.
Source: Reuters
