In the face of accusations that Xiaomi has been collecting private data on the use of Xiaomi's mobile phones and web browser apps, the company has released software updates for its three browser apps on Monday.
Xiaomi said in a blog post that users of the company's three browser apps Xiaomi Browser, Xiaomi Browser Pro and Mint Browser have the option to turn off aggregated data collection when stealth mode is turned on after installing the update, the software update was launched on Google Play.
"We believe this functionality, in combination with our approach of maintaining aggregated data in non-identifiable form, goes beyond any legal requirements and demonstrates our company’s commitment to user privacy," the company said in a statement.
The release of the software update comes after a Forbes story last Thursday suggested that the China-based phone maker was collecting the websites users visit, the apps they use on their devices, and open file records.
The report quoted multiple security researchers as saying that he "logged all the websites he visited, including search engine queries" when using the default Xiaomi browser on the Redmi Note 8, as well as "every item in the Xiaomi software's message subscription Feed".
Researcher Gabi Cirlig told Forbes that this tracking seems to happen even when browsing in stealth or private mode.
The Redmi Note 8 is one of Xiaomi's best-selling phones and was the best-selling Android phone in the world late last year.
In response to the report, Xiaomi defended its approach last week, saying it "fully complies with user privacy protection laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we operate."