A European country warns against using Chinese phones .. What is the reason?

The Belgian Minister of Justice warned that Chinese phone manufacturers, such as Huawei and Xiaomi, may pose a danger by exposing users of their phones to espionage.

The Belgian Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborn, said today, Monday, in an official response to a Belgian parliamentarian, obtained by the Belgian newspaper “Le Soir”: “Given the legal context in which Chinese producers of smartphones operate, there is a risk that The data on these smartphones is for spying, or at least for unwanted transmission to the Chinese authorities."

The minister was referring to Chinese legislation that requires companies to store data on Chinese servers, and gives Chinese authorities the right to access information technology systems, according to Bloomberg news agency, Le Soir newspaper reported.

electronic spy

International reports have warned that electronic devices and games equipped with a camera and microphone may breach user privacy once they are connected to the Internet.

The Federal Agency for Networks in Germany stated a few days ago that these devices, whether they are remote-controlled toy cars, smart watches, or cleaning robots, can be used in illegal espionage operations.

She explained that the device may work illegally, if it records conversations or images and transfers them wirelessly without the user's consent or inability to control this data, or if it performs recording operations without the user's notice, or if the device can be accessed. Remotely via applications in order to listen in or monitor what is going on in the room, and these cases are examples of illegal spying cases.

American accusation

The United States had waged an economic war against the Chinese company, Huawei, among many Chinese entities, accusing it of spying for the benefit of its country.

Two years ago, the US State Department announced additional restrictions on Huawei's access to US technology, citing it as an arm of the Chinese Communist Party's surveillance state.

Spyware

The US Department of Commerce included the two Israeli companies (NSO) and Candero to its blacklist of commercial transactions last year.

The ministry said they sold spyware to foreign governments, which they used to target government officials, journalists and others.

The name of the "NSO" company came to the fore after reports that tens of thousands of human rights activists, journalists, politicians and businessmen all over the world were listed as possible targets for the spyware developed by Pegasus.

Once downloaded to a mobile phone, Pegasus enables spying on the user of the phone by viewing messages, data, photos, contacts, and activating the microphone and camera remotely.

After the scandal was exposed, reactions varied, and lawsuits were filed by people who considered themselves to be victims of espionage operations, or by countries that believed that they were unfairly accused.

The Israeli company found itself last summer at the center of a global espionage scandal after an investigation published by 17 international media outlets as of July 18 showed that the "Pegasus" program designed by the company allowed the spying on no less than 180 journalists, 600 political figures, and 85 A human rights activist and 65 company owners in several countries.