Realme, the popular Chinese smartphone company, is facing allegations of data theft from its users. The controversy arose when a prominent Twitter user raised concerns about a potentially intrusive feature called Enhanced Intelligent Services, which comes pre-enabled on all Realme smart phones.
The Twitter user highlighted that Realme phones have a default setting for Enhanced Intelligent Services that collects user data, including call logs, SMS, and location information. This feature, according to the tweet, remains active without the explicit consent of the user. To access and disable this setting, users must navigate to Settings > Additional Settings > System Services > Enhanced Intelligent Services. The tweet specifically mentioned that Indian users were unaware of their data being shared without their consent, effectively making it a case of forced consent due to the default setting.
While many smart phones and mobile apps require some level of access to user data, such as location information, they typically offer users the choice to opt in or opt out. The concern arises when users are unaware of their data being tracked without their knowledge.
The user’s tweet caught the attention of Union Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who has announced that the government will investigate the matter further.
As of now, Realme has not responded to the accusations levelled against the company. It remains unclear how the collected data is utilised and whether these data collection practises are genuinely necessary for the products and services offered by the company. It is crucial for these companies to provide transparent explanations to their users regarding the purpose and significance of such data collection practises.
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