Η Xiaomi is now blocking Telegram from being installed in China, on devices using MIUI as an operating system
MIUI is an Android-based operating system used by Xiaomi in its smartphones and mobile devices. With its release MIUI 13 in 2022, the company added a new security feature to flag and block malicious apps from running on devices.
However, this feature has faced criticism and suspicion in the past, with users speculating that this move could be a veiled effort by Xiaomi, in collaboration with Chinese Communist Party (CCP), monitor user activities and censor applications.
These suspicions were further fueled by the fact that MIUI began blocking apps that allowed users to change network settings beyond the default settings. If an app is deemed malicious or dangerous, MIUI tries to remove the app from the device and block its re-installation.
Recent leaks show that Xiaomi's MIUI is now targeting the popular messaging platform Telegram as a dangerous application in China.
According to reports that have been made on Telegram channels, when MIUI recognizes Telegram, it displays a warning stating :
The BleepingComputer received confirmation from the Chinese developer, Hikari Calyx, who said reports of MIUI for Telegram and other apps in China being flagged as dangerous are "confirmed and true".
Flagging Telegram as a suspect app likely points to the larger narrative of the Chinese government's ongoing efforts to curtail free speech and personal privacy. Historically, Chinese authorities have from time to time imposed various restrictions or outright bans on many global social networking platforms, including the Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Google, limiting access and free communication for millions of people.
China's censorship machinery is known to restrict access to foreign websites, and it filters out keywords deemed sensitive or anti-government and monitors online activity.
Over the years, popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have also been targeted, with Chinese alternatives gaining prominence.
More recently, China has also turned its attention to applications that facilitate uncontrolled communication or content sharing, as seen with Telegram.
While it's common for the Chinese government to restrict or even ban apps that don't align with the tight control narrative, the new labeling of a popular messaging app like Telegram as "dangerous", shows their escalating efforts to control digital communication spaces in the country.
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