4 ms·

Free Tibet. I just typed that on my Xiaomi with stock MIUI, using Google Gboard.

by sorenjan 5y ago

wavefunction 5y ago
I don't think there were allegations that you couldn't type Free Tibet?
- avodonosov 5y ago
  What exactly are the allegations then? "have a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as "Free Tibet" Censor by preventing one posting the phrase? Removing the phrase from web pages? What are the steps to reproduce?
  - tyingq 5y ago
    The allegation is that the censorship code is there. It's disabled on phones in western markets, but can be enabled remotely by the manufacturer.
    - oblak 5y ago
      So, it's better than US made spyware which cannot be removed from "our" PC CPUs? Best we can do is "disable" these features in the BIOS/UEFI and sleep well, even though we nothing's really stopped. Sorry for the whataboutism but I am lot less concerned about Chinese spyware because I know for a fact that my government serves the EU and the US. All this anti China propaganda is really tiresome. China this, China that. Someone seems really scared. Fuck this someone
      - trasz 5y ago
        As you can see, one gets downvoted quickly when pointing out double standards, or posting anything else that could interfere with anti-Chinese propaganda efforts.
        tyingq 5y ago
        The reply was to my fairly "just the facts" statement, where I didn't characterize what was happening, just explained it.
    - severino 5y ago
      > It's disabled on phones in western markets, but can be enabled remotely by the manufacturer Well, I think everything can be enabled remotely by your manufacturer, no matter which... it is what we call "software upgrades". But for me, a western, it's actually good to have a phone controlled by the Chinese. I would be concerned if it were controlled by my government, though.
    - onepointsixC 5y ago
      It's also in Chinese, so if it is activated typing it in English doesn't do anything. But that's not to say that it can't be also updated to be other languages
  - reginold 5y ago
    It's all covered in the 32 page research report: Xiaomi system applications (Security, MiBrowser, Cleaner, MIUI Package Installer and Themes) have been found to regularly download the manufacturer’s updated configuration file MiAdBlacklistConfig from a server located in Singapore. This file contains a list composed of the titles, names and other information of various religious and political groups and social movements (at the time the analysis was performed, 449 records were identified in the MiAdBlacklistConfig file). Analysis of the Xiaomi application code showed that the applications have implemented software classes for filtering the target multimedia displayed on the device according to the downloaded MiAdBlacklistConfig list. This allows a Xiaomi device to perform an analysis of the target multimedia content entering a phone: to search for keywords based on the MiAdBlacklist list received from the server. When it is determined that such content contains keywords from the list, the device blocks this content. It is thought that this functionality can pose potential threats to the free availability of information. PDF here: https://www.nksc.lt/doc/en/analysis/2021-08-23_5G-CN-analysis_env3.pdf https://www.nksc.lt/doc/en/analysis/2021-08-23_5G-CN-analysi...
    - avodonosov 5y ago
      Right
      - reginold 5y ago
        I don't understand what you're saying or intending with your comments. There are 32 pages in the report. I'm curious about steps to replicate as well, generally for stuff like this.
        avodonosov 5y ago
        I mean the piece quoted above is the correct original source. I wanted to post exactly this snippet myself. From that a possible test case can be to open this HN thread in MiBrowser and see the webpage blocked due to the "free Tibet" phrases posted here (assuming MiAdBlacklistConfig includes English versions). If anyone has a Xiaomi phone and is willing to accept the MiBrowser terms of use, please try.
hef19898 5y ago
Unless you are based in China, a Chinese national, a known dissident or a journalist it doesn't really matter, does it? Also, how do you know what Xiaomi did after you typed it? EDIT: As I really phrased it badly, I mean it doesn't proof anything if none of the above mentioned groups does it. It absolutely matters that Xiaomi is censoring and monitoring stuff based on key words. I oppose that even more than oppose Apple monitoring child pornography. Simply because Xiaomi is already doing the monitoring for a non Democratic repressive government.
- reginold 5y ago
  Are you saying you don't care what happens to journalists around the world? Seems like a recipe for disaster.
  - hef19898 5y ago
    No, quite the opposite actually. Just that it doesn't mean anything if a random Xiaomi user in Europe can type words Xiaomi is monitoring. Since that user most likely isn't the reason why Xiaomi is doing that kind of stuff.
    - reginold 5y ago
      Oh I get what you mean, my bad. You're saying the above poster "typing in Free Tibet and nothing bad happened" doesn't prove anything. Yep, agreed.
      - hef19898 5y ago
        Exactly that, I could have phrased it better I think.
        reginold 5y ago
        Yes, rather than "it doesn't matter", something like "typing in a phrase yourself isn't relevant as this feature is likely disabled for you". Believe that's why you're being downvoted. The way HN moves comments around also so yours was not right next to the comment you replied to, which didn't help.
reginold 5y ago
According to the 32 page research report the phrase is "西藏自由", and also that blocking is disabled outside regions of interest. So it's likely you won't see anything happen, but worth a try!

Free Tibet. I just typed that on my Xiaomi with stock MIUI, using Google Gboard.

wavefunction 5y ago

I don't think there were allegations that you couldn't type Free Tibet?

avodonosov 5y ago
What exactly are the allegations then? "have a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as "Free Tibet" Censor by preventing one posting the phrase? Removing the phrase from web pages? What are the steps to reproduce?
- tyingq 5y ago
  The allegation is that the censorship code is there. It's disabled on phones in western markets, but can be enabled remotely by the manufacturer.
  - oblak 5y ago
    So, it's better than US made spyware which cannot be removed from "our" PC CPUs? Best we can do is "disable" these features in the BIOS/UEFI and sleep well, even though we nothing's really stopped. Sorry for the whataboutism but I am lot less concerned about Chinese spyware because I know for a fact that my government serves the EU and the US. All this anti China propaganda is really tiresome. China this, China that. Someone seems really scared. Fuck this someone
    - trasz 5y ago
      As you can see, one gets downvoted quickly when pointing out double standards, or posting anything else that could interfere with anti-Chinese propaganda efforts.
      - tyingq 5y ago
        The reply was to my fairly "just the facts" statement, where I didn't characterize what was happening, just explained it.
  - severino 5y ago
    > It's disabled on phones in western markets, but can be enabled remotely by the manufacturer Well, I think everything can be enabled remotely by your manufacturer, no matter which... it is what we call "software upgrades". But for me, a western, it's actually good to have a phone controlled by the Chinese. I would be concerned if it were controlled by my government, though.
  - onepointsixC 5y ago
    It's also in Chinese, so if it is activated typing it in English doesn't do anything. But that's not to say that it can't be also updated to be other languages
- reginold 5y ago
  It's all covered in the 32 page research report: Xiaomi system applications (Security, MiBrowser, Cleaner, MIUI Package Installer and Themes) have been found to regularly download the manufacturer’s updated configuration file MiAdBlacklistConfig from a server located in Singapore. This file contains a list composed of the titles, names and other information of various religious and political groups and social movements (at the time the analysis was performed, 449 records were identified in the MiAdBlacklistConfig file). Analysis of the Xiaomi application code showed that the applications have implemented software classes for filtering the target multimedia displayed on the device according to the downloaded MiAdBlacklistConfig list. This allows a Xiaomi device to perform an analysis of the target multimedia content entering a phone: to search for keywords based on the MiAdBlacklist list received from the server. When it is determined that such content contains keywords from the list, the device blocks this content. It is thought that this functionality can pose potential threats to the free availability of information. PDF here: https://www.nksc.lt/doc/en/analysis/2021-08-23_5G-CN-analysis_env3.pdf https://www.nksc.lt/doc/en/analysis/2021-08-23_5G-CN-analysi...
  - avodonosov 5y ago
    Right
    - reginold 5y ago
      I don't understand what you're saying or intending with your comments. There are 32 pages in the report. I'm curious about steps to replicate as well, generally for stuff like this.
      - avodonosov 5y ago
        I mean the piece quoted above is the correct original source. I wanted to post exactly this snippet myself. From that a possible test case can be to open this HN thread in MiBrowser and see the webpage blocked due to the "free Tibet" phrases posted here (assuming MiAdBlacklistConfig includes English versions). If anyone has a Xiaomi phone and is willing to accept the MiBrowser terms of use, please try.

hef19898 5y ago

Unless you are based in China, a Chinese national, a known dissident or a journalist it doesn't really matter, does it? Also, how do you know what Xiaomi did after you typed it? EDIT: As I really phrased it badly, I mean it doesn't proof anything if none of the above mentioned groups does it. It absolutely matters that Xiaomi is censoring and monitoring stuff based on key words. I oppose that even more than oppose Apple monitoring child pornography. Simply because Xiaomi is already doing the monitoring for a non Democratic repressive government.

reginold 5y ago
Are you saying you don't care what happens to journalists around the world? Seems like a recipe for disaster.
- hef19898 5y ago
  No, quite the opposite actually. Just that it doesn't mean anything if a random Xiaomi user in Europe can type words Xiaomi is monitoring. Since that user most likely isn't the reason why Xiaomi is doing that kind of stuff.
  - reginold 5y ago
    Oh I get what you mean, my bad. You're saying the above poster "typing in Free Tibet and nothing bad happened" doesn't prove anything. Yep, agreed.
    - hef19898 5y ago
      Exactly that, I could have phrased it better I think.
      - reginold 5y ago
        Yes, rather than "it doesn't matter", something like "typing in a phrase yourself isn't relevant as this feature is likely disabled for you". Believe that's why you're being downvoted. The way HN moves comments around also so yours was not right next to the comment you replied to, which didn't help.

reginold 5y ago

According to the 32 page research report the phrase is "西藏自由", and also that blocking is disabled outside regions of interest. So it's likely you won't see anything happen, but worth a try!