• By Vikas Yadav
  • Sat, 17 Jun 2023 02:47 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

JE Technology Desk: Chinese smartphone maker Realme was recently in the news for announcing the Realme 10 5G series in India. But this time, the headlines include a toggle in Realme devices that goes by the name: Enhanced Intelligent Services, which collects sensitive data, including device information, app usage stats, location, unread SMS messages and missed calls and more.

Retweeting a post from Rishi Bagree that included the screengrab in which the user claimed the toggle is switched 'On' by default, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Information Technology, said, "will have this tested and checked." The toggle sits inside the 'System Services' option in the 'Settings' app.

Also Read: Realme 11 Pro Plus 5G vs Samsung Galaxy F54 5G: Is The 200MP Camera Enough To Forgo Samsung's Great Software?

Bagree said in this tweet: "Realme's smartphone has a feature (Enhanced Intelligent Services) that captures the user's data (call logs, SMS, and location info) and it is "On" by default. You can only see this "on" by default feature when you go to Settings > Additional Settings > System Services > Enhanced Intelligent Services."

He goes on to add: "Indian users are kept in dark to share their data without their consent. This is basically forced consent, since it's on by default. Is this data being sent to China?"

From the text readable in the screenshot, the feature claims to improve user experience by "optimising device functions." In exchange for this, the feature collects a range of details from the device, including usage statistics, location data, messages, call logs and more. It can connect to the internet and claim device permissions to offer wallpaper and other services.

News outlet Indian Express reported that the feature is active by default on the new Realme 11 Pro smartphone. Other users on Twitter also underlined that a similar feature is turned 'On' by default in OnePlus and OPPO devices too. A reader must note these brands are a part of BBK Electronics, a Guangzhou-based tech company.

Speaking of RealmeUI, recently, the software has been bad-mouthed by the tech fraternity because of the inclusion of ads and intrusive apps and recommendations throughout the UI, majorly after the launch of the Realme 10 series.