Finland to probe Nokia phones over reports they sent data to China
Data protection authorities in Finland are set to launch an inquiry into Nokia-branded phones following reports the handsets sent data to China.
Norwegian media today reported the Nokia 7 Plus model, which is built by Finnish firm HMD, had suffered a data breach that had resulted in data being sent to China.
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Data protection ombudsman Reijo Aarnio told Reuters he would assess whether there were any breaches that involved “personal information and if there has been a legal justification for this.”
HMD denied personal data had been shared with any third party, but admitted there had been a software glitch that had affected some handsets.
“Due to this mistake, these devices were erroneously trying to send device activation data to a third-party server,” HMD said. “However, such data was never processed and no person could have been identified based on this data.”
The firm added the error was resolved in February and that “nearly all” devices had installed the fix.
In 2016 HMD secured a 10-year contract to manufacture handsets for Nokia, which receives royalty payments for sales of every mobile phone and tablet. But Nokia is not an investor or shareholder in the firm.
Finland could invoke newly-introduced GDPR laws if it finds evidence of wrongdoing. French authorities have already used the legislation to hand down a €50m (£43.4m) to Google.
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The probe comes amid growing concerns about China’s role in telecoms network. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has been locked in a dispute with the US, which states the firm’s equipment could be used for spying.
Nokia declined to comment.