Sony is a Japanese company, but interestingly enough it seems that Sony’s phones have reportedly been sending data back to a server in China. According to a report, it seems that Sony’s phones have been found to contain a folder called “Baidu” which is said to be impossible to delete.
Users have reported to have tried deleting the folder only to have it reinstalled after their phones have been rebooted. This is not limited to Sony’s phones as users who own HTC and OnePlus handsets have reported seeing the folder as well. The purpose of the folder remains unclear for now, although some suspect that the MyXperia app could be to blame, and that Sony might be relying on Baidu for location services.
According to a post by a Sony Xperia Support representative on the forums, the folder will apparently be deleted in a future software update. “This folder will be removed in future software updates for the phone. Until then i can only advise that you delete it manually after a reboot if you want to remove it. It’s safe to just delete it.”
However the rep did not clarify its purpose which has some users worried. If you own a Sony smartphone and you spot the Baidu folder on your phone, the forum post linked above has instructions on how to go about blocking MyXperia from making the connection to China, so if you’re concerned about your privacy and want to block unknown connections, head on over to the forums for the details.
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