Is the EU ROM spyware free (unlike the global ROM)?


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sahands

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Aug 2, 2018
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The main reason why I'm interested in the EU ROM is that it will hopefully be spyware free. Unfortunately Chinese phone are infamous for having spyware on them, and Xiaomi is no exception:
https://thehackernews.com/2016/09/xiaomi-android-backdoor.html
https://public.gdatasoftware.com/Pr...lware_Reports/G_DATA_MobileMWR_Q2_2015_US.pdf
https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/27486/security/xiaomi-handset-usersdata.html
The fact is that I disabled all Mi services, removed my Mi account, and found out that my phone was still sending data to Chinese servers, this will not be the case with EU ROMs right?
 
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"sending data" is not the same as being "spyware".
As a matter of fact, having and using a smartphone is about sending data back and forth. This is how the smartphone does most of its magic. If you don't like this (and there may be good reasons for this decision, I admit), switch off mobile data and Wifi and it won't send or receive data. Or install a firewall that allows you to exactly define what data goes out and comes in. Or use your smartphone only in a Wifi network that has a firewall to the outside world.
 
"sending data" is not the same as being "spyware".
As a matter of fact, having and using a smartphone is about sending data back and forth. This is how the smartphone does most of its magic. If you don't like this (and there may be good reasons for this decision, I admit), switch off mobile data and Wifi and it won't send or receive data. Or install a firewall that allows you to exactly define what data goes out and comes in. Or use your smartphone only in a Wifi network that has a firewall to the outside world.
Not really, sending data is only done when the user has agreed to it. I use google services, so I know that google will be sending data to its servers, same goes for using Mi services, but as I had said, I disabled and stopped using Mi account, sync, backups, updates etc., yet the phone was still transmitting data over to China. And don't take my word for it, security companies like f-secure and g-data have proven this to be true.
From above link:
"On the forum IMA Mobile recently was reported that Redmi Note smartphones continually make connections with IP addresses in Beijing, China, even if users turn off the iCloud-like service named MiCloud."
 
Not really, sending data is only done when the user has agreed to it. I use google services, so I know that google will be sending data to its servers, same goes for using Mi services, but as I had said, I disabled and stopped using Mi account, sync, backups, updates etc., yet the phone was still transmitting data over to China. And don't take my word for it, security companies like f-secure and g-data have proven this to be true.
From above link:
"On the forum IMA Mobile recently was reported that Redmi Note smartphones continually make connections with IP addresses in Beijing, China, even if users turn off the iCloud-like service named MiCloud."

I don't say it doesn't happen. What I say is that if you don't want it to happen, there are ways to avoid it.
This being said, I don't understand why someone buys a Xiaomi phone which uses MIUI, and then switches off everything that makes this phone something special. If not sending data is so important, install a custom ROM that doesn't send any data (if you find one). In the end it boils down to the question who will see our data: Google, Xiaomi, or someone else, and whom we trust more. I personally I have no reason to trust Xiaomi any less than Google or Apple.
 
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