The article highlights that Xiaomi, among other major Chinese players, is now involved in the development of humanoid robots. This marks Xiaomi’s entry into a rapidly advancing field where Chinese firms are outpacing U.S. tech giants, reflecting both competitive innovation and broader shifts in global technological leadership.

A profile from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre highlights Xiaomi’s adherence to robust human rights policies. The report details Xiaomi’s memberships in the Global Network Initiative and the UN Global Compact, its published Human Rights Policy, Business Code of Conduct, and Transparency Report—all of which signal a commitment to ethical business practices that respect privacy and freedom of expression.

An analysis of Xiaomi Corporation's lobbying activities reveals a reported expenditure of $480,000 in the 2024 cycle, as documented by OpenSecrets. This spending, while moderate in absolute terms, raises concerns among anti-fascist activists about the company's efforts to influence U.S. political decisions in favor of corporate interests, potentially bolstering authoritarian policy influences.

Xiaomi Corporation was reported to have spent $480,000 on lobbying activities in 2024, raising alarms about its potential influence on U.S. policy and democratic processes. From an anti-fascist perspective, such political spending is viewed as a corporate maneuver to undermine transparency and accountability.

An investigative article highlights that Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with default censorship features that block politically sensitive phrases such as 'Free Tibet,' 'Long live Taiwan independence,' and 'democracy movement,' aligning the technology with authoritarian censorship practices.

Xiaomi Inc spent $460,000 on lobbying efforts during 2023, as reported by OpenSecrets. This expenditure was part of the company's activities aimed at influencing policy decisions.

Xiaomi Group founder and CEO Lei Jun donated 1.3 billion yuan (approximately $182.5 million) to his alma mater, Wuhan University. The donation, the largest ever made to a university in China, will support research across six major disciplines including mathematics, philosophy, literature, and computer science. This philanthropic gesture underscores a commitment to advancing academic research and fostering educational excellence.

A report alleges that Xiaomi's Mi 10T 5G smartphone is equipped with a built-in mechanism to censor politically sensitive terms such as 'Free Tibet' and 'Long live Taiwan independence', prompting the Lithuanian government to advise citizens to dispose of Chinese smartphones and leading Germany's BSI to launch technical examinations.

An analysis reveals that Xiaomi Corporation maintains supplier relationships with companies allegedly exploiting forced labor from Uyghur minorities in Chinese factories. This raises significant concerns over labor rights and supply chain ethics in the context of broader human rights abuses and authoritarian practices.

A U.S. State Department report detailed Chinese efforts to spread disinformation worldwide, naming Xiaomi among companies used to propagate state-backed narratives and facilitate censorship. The report highlights Xiaomi’s role in a broader campaign to exert digital influence as part of China’s global information warfare.

On January 30, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun announced the creation of two governance committees—the Operations Management Committee and the Human Resources Committee—to improve internal decision-making and management processes.

Xiaomi’s Trust Center outlines its adherence to international industry standards and legal data protection requirements, highlighting regular self-assessments, third‐party audits, and globally recognized certifications. This transparency in security and privacy practices demonstrates a commitment to upholding high ethical standards and protecting civil liberties.

Ukraine's National Corruption Prevention Agency labeled Xiaomi as an 'international sponsor of war' for increasing deliveries to Russia by 39% in Q3 2022 amid the Ukraine crisis. Xiaomi defended its actions, stating it only supplies civilian smartphones and home appliances.

A July 2022 analysis reported by Tech Monitor indicates that Xiaomi, holding a significant share in the European smartphone market, scored zero on the ICT Index, highlighting its lack of transparency and due diligence regarding forced labour in its supply chain.

Taiwanese authorities and the National Communications Commission (NCC) have raised concerns over Xiaomi's Mi 10T 5G smartphones sold in Taiwan, alleging that a built-in program, MiAdBlacklistConfig, censors politically sensitive content (e.g., 'Taiwan independence', 'free Tibet', etc.) and transmits user web history to servers in Beijing. Xiaomi denies these accusations, stating that the program is used solely for managing paid ads and protecting users from inappropriate content.

Xiaomi's lobbying reports for 2022 indicate that the company engaged in political lobbying efforts, with a reported expenditure of approximately $150,000. This activity raises concerns about its use of corporate resources to influence policy, potentially contributing to an environment conducive to authoritarian practices.

An investigation revealed a built-in MiAdBlacklistConfig file in Xiaomi smartphones that includes politically sensitive terms. Although Xiaomi maintains that this is merely an advertisement filter and not a tool for censoring free speech, the presence of such terms raises questions about potential complicity in digital repression.

After a report from Lithuania's Defence Ministry alleging that Xiaomi’s Mi 10T 5G smartphone has a remotely activatable censorship feature – reportedly designed to suppress terms such as 'Free Tibet', 'Long live Taiwan independence', and 'democracy movement' – Xiaomi responded by stating that its devices do not censor user communications and that the censoring capability is turned off for the European Union region, though it can be enabled remotely. This raises concerns about the potential use of technology for authoritarian control despite the company's assurances.

A Lithuanian cybersecurity report alleged that certain Xiaomi devices, including the Mi 10T, have the latent ability to remotely download a blocklist of politically sensitive keywords for censorship purposes. Although Xiaomi denies actively censoring communications, the report raises concerns about potential use of this remote censorship feature, especially to suppress topics like Taiwanese independence and Tibetan liberation.

In June 2021, Xiaomi released its inaugural transparency report detailing government requests for user information. The report reveals that Xiaomi complied with 94.8% of Chinese government requests—a near-total conformance that raises concerns regarding its willingness or ability to resist authoritarian pressure. While the act of transparency is positive, the superficial detail and selective disclosure in the report suggest a problematic alignment with state policies.

Xiaomi successfully challenged its designation as a 'Communist Chinese military company' with a US District Court order vacating the blacklisting, reinforcing its image as an open and transparent corporation, free from politically motivated mischaracterizations.

Xiaomi successfully challenged its designation as a Communist Chinese Military Company, resulting in its removal from the U.S. blacklist that restricted investments due to alleged ties with the PLA. While the legal victory restored market access, it raises concerns about corporate strategies to evade scrutiny and accountability regarding political and economic influence.

On May 11, 2021, following legal challenges and a preliminary injunction by the D.C. District Court, the U.S. Department of Defense agreed to remove Xiaomi from its list of Communist Chinese Military Companies (CCMC). The decision was based on insufficient evidence under the Administrative Procedure Act, thus averting restrictive measures that would have barred Xiaomi from U.S. securities markets. This reversal suggests that Xiaomi was not substantiated as being directly complicit in authoritarian state military support.

Xiaomi successfully challenged its designation as a Communist Chinese Military Company, leading to its removal from a US government blocklist. This legal victory underscores its commitment to openness and distancing itself from authoritarian associations, a key positive mark in its public and political behavior.

On January 29, 2021, Xiaomi filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, contesting its designation as a 'military-controlled' company along with the extraterritorial sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration. This legal challenge comes amid broader geopolitical tensions and coincides with China's recently passed anti-blocking legislation aimed at countering what it views as unjust extraterritorial measures.

On January 29, 2021, Xiaomi initiated a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government to contest its designation as a 'military-controlled' company, arguing that the sanction was based on insufficient evidence and violated its 5th Amendment due process rights. This legal action came after the Trump administration imposed the blacklist, mandating U.S. investors divest from Xiaomi by January 2022, and in the context of China’s new anti-blocking legislation aimed at countering extraterritorial sanctions.