Blu hits back over spyware concerns [Update: back on sale]

Update, 8 August 2017: Blu has announced that its phones are back on Amazon after a “false alarm”.

Hey BLU fans! After a false alarm, BLU devices are now back up for sale on Amazon. https://t.co/XKqFyEiBI0#BLU #BoldLikeUs #Amazon

— BLU Products (@BLU_Products) August 4, 2017

Original article: US smartphone brand Blu has issued a statement after a report found some of its phones were transmitting data to Chinese servers.

Last week, security researchers found that the so-called Adups software on some of Blu’s devices were sending data to China without the consumer’s knowledge. The research seems to have triggered Amazon into suspending sales of Blu’s smartphones.

“Because security and privacy of our customers is of the utmost importance, all Blu phone models have been made unavailable for purchase on Amazon.com until the issue is resolved,” Amazon told Gearburn and other outlets at the time.

What does the mobile brand say about it though? Well, the company has asserted “that there is absolutely no spyware or malware or secret software on Blu devices”.

US budget brand Blu has fired back at “inaccurate and false reports” over its smartphones

The brand acknowledged a November 2016 Kryptowire report, which found that Adups software was collecting contacts and text messages without consent.

“Blu moved quickly and resolved the problem by having Adups turn off this functionality,” it explained, adding that it switched its newer phones from Adups to Google’s service instead.

Blu also reassured users that the data currently being collected by the Adups program was “nothing out of the ordinary”.

Furthermore, the company took shots at people who thought that there was something wrong with storing data on Chinese servers.

“Regarding that some information may be stored in China servers, their privacy policy clearly states that some of the data collected can be stored in servers outside the US, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a server in China. Blu management takes issue with the statement that any server in China is prone to risk while several other multibillion dollar companies and other mobile manufactures such as Huawei and ZTE use them.”