https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-government-investigates-data-privacy-140254357.html
According to a report by Wall Street Journal, a Xiaomi device user has lodged a complaint with regards to receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls from abroad. The source and content of the calls were unclear.
Singapore's newly-minted Personal Data Protection Act, officially took full effect on July 2.
Earlier this month, another user complained on a Chinese language web forum that his Xiaomi smartphone was “secretly” connecting to a server in Beijing, causing him to believe that the company was transmitting all his data without his permission.
Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s global vice president, was able to turn away allegations of privacy violations then, and informed Wall Street Journal that the server in question in Beijing did not store user data. It connects to users’ phones for services such as downloading themes and apps only.
Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission is now looking into the case. If found guilty, the smartphone maker may be directed to stop collecting or revealing data, destroy the data, provide access to the data, and may face a financial penalty of up to S$1 million (US$800,000), according to a commission spokesman.
The China-based smartphone has been very popular in Singapore. With data privacy a massive concern globally now, Barra and his team will have to act decisively in order to retain their popularity.
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