Realme

China

Realme is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer focused on providing high quality and affordable smartphones primarily targeted at young people.

CCI Score

-46.19

0.02% April 18

Latest Event

Government Investigation over Realme's Default Data Collection

Realme is under a government investigation following revelations that its smartphones ship with a default-enabled 'Enhanced Intelligent Services' feature which collects sensitive user data, including call logs, SMS messages, and location information without explicit consent. The practice has raised concerns over forced consent and potential exploitation for surveillance purposes.

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QUISLING

Realme is currently rated as a Quisling.

-44 to -59 CCI Score

These companies are fully aligned with authoritarian regimes. They not only support but also enforce oppressive policies, playing a significant role in the regime’s operational apparatus and contributing directly to its consolidation of power.

Latest Events

JUN

19

2023

Government Investigation over Realme's Default Data Collection
-49.94

Realme is under a government investigation following revelations that its smartphones ship with a default-enabled 'Enhanced Intelligent Services' feature which collects sensitive user data, including call logs, SMS messages, and location information without explicit consent. The practice has raised concerns over forced consent and potential exploitation for surveillance purposes.
-50

Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility

March 28

Realme's practice of enabling invasive data collection by default undermines ethical business practices and consumer privacy, prompting a government investigation. This reflects a disregard for safeguarding user rights and contributes to an environment where unauthorized data use could aid surveillance efforts.

Realme Phones Face Government Investigation For Unauthorized Data Collection; Here’s What Exactly Happened
-70

Technology and Services Impact

March 28

The pre-activated 'Enhanced Intelligent Services' feature on Realme devices is inherently invasive, automatically collecting personal data that could be exploited for surveillance. This technology poses a risk of being used as a tool for repressive purposes, aligning with authoritarian practices.

Realme Phones Face Government Investigation For Unauthorized Data Collection; Here’s What Exactly Happened
JUN

19

2023

Probe Over Default Data Collection on Realme Devices
-49.94

Realme is under investigation by India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology after allegations emerged that its smartphones, by default, collect sensitive user data (including SMS, call logs, and location) via the 'Enhanced Intelligent Services' feature. This has raised concerns over user privacy and potential misuse of collected data.
-60

Provision of Repressive Technologies

March 28

Realme’s feature 'Enhanced Intelligent Services' is enabled by default on its smartphones and collects sensitive personal data without explicit consent. Such practices raise significant concerns about privacy and the potential for surveillance exploitation, aligning with the criteria for providing repressive technology that could be used to support authoritarian measures.

Trouble For Realme? Handset Maker Allegedly Collecting Personal User Data, Govt Orders Probe
JUN

17

2023

Probe Ordered Over Realme's Default Data Collection Feature
-33.28

After concerns were raised about Realme's 'Enhanced Intelligent Services' being enabled by default, which collects sensitive user data without explicit consent, the Indian government ordered a probe to investigate potential privacy violations.
-40

Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility

March 28

Realme's practice of enabling its Enhanced Intelligent Services by default forces users to share sensitive data without explicit consent. This lack of transparency in data collection violates standard privacy practices and ethical business conduct, raising serious concerns in terms of business practices and ethical responsibility.

Chinese Phone Maker's Data Collection Raises Concerns, Centre Orders Probe
-40

Provision of Repressive Technologies

March 28

The forced activation of a feature that automatically collects sensitive data, including call logs, SMS, and location information, can potentially facilitate surveillance and repressive state practices. This approach is seen as dangerously enabling technology that compromises user privacy, thereby warranting a negative score under the category of Provision of Repressive Technologies.

Chinese Phone Maker's Data Collection Raises Concerns, Centre Orders Probe
JUN

16

2023

Realme Under Government Scrutiny for Default Data Collection
-49.90

Realme faces a government investigation after allegations emerged that its Enhanced Intelligent Services feature collects user data, including call logs, SMS, and location information without explicit consent. The feature, which is enabled by default on devices, has raised significant privacy concerns and prompted government officials to call for testing and oversight.
-60

Technology and Services Impact

March 28

The Enhanced Intelligent Services feature collects sensitive personal data by default without proper user consent. This practice compromises user privacy and reflects a reckless approach to data handling that could enable intrusive surveillance practices, aligning with authoritarian tendencies in technology deployment.

Realme Collects Users Data Without Consent? Government To Look Into Matter
MAR

01

2020

Implication in Forced Labour Report
-47.87

Realme was listed among 83 brands implicated in a 2020 ASPI report alleging that companies benefitted directly or indirectly from forced labour practices involving Uyghur workers transferred from Xinjiang. The report highlights how state-driven labour transfer programs placed ethnic minorities in factories across multiple provinces.
-80

Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices

March 28

The ASPI report implicates Realme in benefiting from a supply chain that exploited forced labour arrangements involving Uyghur workers. This association with forced labour practices represents a serious violation of labor rights and ethical responsibilities, thus warranting a strongly negative score within the Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices category.

China: 83 major brands implicated in report on forced labour of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang assigned to factories across provinces; Includes company responses