This archive report was first published on 13 September 2021.
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has been making headlines for its export regulations, which prohibit the sale of its handsets in certain regions. However, a recent report suggests that the company has taken it a step further by actively blocking its smartphones in these regions.
According to reports, users in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, and Crimea have been locked out of their phones after a few days of use, with a message displayed on their screen stating that Xiaomi's policy does not permit sale or provision of the product to the territory in which they have attempted to activate it.
When questioned about the move, Xiaomi provided a statement to the Global Times, saying that the locking of its smartphones is not targeting any specific market, but rather a cross-regional governance measure aimed at preventing smuggling through the grey market and protecting user data.
However, various media outlets have attributed Xiaomi's move to the United States' 'long-arm' jurisdiction, speculating that Washington is exerting pressure on the Chinese company to block phones used in sanctioned countries and regions.
Interestingly, the blocking issue does not affect users who have installed a custom ROM on their Xiaomi device.
