OnePlus has clarified that any sensitive information retained by future OnePlus devices would be on an “opt-in” basis only.
The Chinese firm caused a bit of a furore over the weekend when it revealed that it hoped to one day capture private information about smartphone users.
Speaking in an interview, co-founder Carl Pei discussed how the company, of OnePlus One fame, would like to retain a range of information to help keep its smartphones popular.
“Let’s say in the future we have a platform of 10 million users, and we have OnePlus credits, and you take an Uber, you open the Uber app, you log in with your OnePlus account and you’re logged in. And because we own the end-to-end user experience on e-commerce,
At the time, he added: “So next time, with the OnePlus 4 or 5 a few years down the line, when they receive the phone it’s already logged in and already has everything set up according to their preferences; it already has their biometric information. The entire friction of making a purchase or a customisation just decreases so much more. This will lead to higher engagement.”
Pei later clarified his comments on a Reddit post, suggesting he “got a bit too excited about the future” during the interview.
“When it comes to privacy, we will always err on the side of caution,” he explained. “Product features related to privacy will be opt-in rather than opt-out.”
He continued: “As a brand trying to establish itself, we would never do anything to compromise the trust people have placed in us.”
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Pei went on to reveal that the fingerprint sensor on the OnePlus 2 will “never store your data to a server or a cloud”, pledging that information will remain on devices.
He added: “And it will not be used by third-party apps.
OnePlus is due to announce its second-ever smartphone – the OnePlus 2 – at an event on 27 July, which will be streamed in a VR headset-friendly format.
If you need a new handset sooner than that, check out our smartphone group test video below:
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.