A Twitter user posted a tweet stating that Realme smartphones have a feature that collects personal user data.
A Enhanced user Realme smartphone has a feature (Intelligent Services) that records user data (call logs, SMS and location information) and it is “On” by default. You can see that it is “On” by default only when you go to Settings – > Additional Settings – > System Services – > Enhanced Intelligent Services named Rishi Bagree wrote on Twitter: “ .”
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He continues: “Indian users are kept in the dark and data without their consent. This is basically forced consent, as it is enabled by default.”
And he concludes by asking: “Is this data being sent to China?”
This particular tweet caught the attention of many users as well as Rajeev Chandrasekhar, an Indian Minister, who assured that an investigation into the matter would be launched.
Smartphones and mobile apps often access personal user data, such as location. According to manufacturers, this is done to improve services and user experiences. However, tracking data without the user's knowledge or consent is not considered acceptable.
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Other users confirmed that their smartphones had this feature enabled by default. “This is enabled by default on the One plus phone as well,” said one user. “On the Oppo Reno too. Found it and disabled it,” wrote another.
The News18 team has reportedly reached out to Realme India regarding the matter. The company said, “Realme attaches great importance to consumer privacy and security and we are committed to maintaining data security. Specifically for the issue raised, we would like to clarify that the Enhanced Intelligent Services feature is linked to optimizing device to ensure consumers get better battery and temperature performance… However, contrary to the current description, we do not collect data on SMS, phone calls, schedules, etc.”
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Furthermore, Realme claims that all data processed in this service is encrypted and stored in encrypted hardware on the user's device , always in line with Android 's security mechanisms . The company emphasizes that this data is stored on the device and is not shared anywhere else or uploaded to the cloud .
The company also said that this feature can be enabled or disabled by the user based on their needs. “The company complies with local laws and regulations,” Realme India said.
Source: www.news18.com
