OnePlus risks US sales ban for allegedly sending sensitive data to China without permission

In the last five years or so, a number of Chinese companies have been caught in the crossfire of the increasingly frayed relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States (US). While Huawei is the most high-profile of those that continue to endure sanctions, DJI and Xiaomi have come under fire too, among others.

Now, the US' Chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has taken a shot at OnePlus. Announced by John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi in a bipartisan move, the pair indicate that OnePlus devices transmit user data to servers hosted in China, including current devices like the OnePlus Pad 3 and OnePlus 13 (curr. $999.99 on Amazon). While not an issue in itself, the pair argue that OnePlus is doing so without seeking user consent beforehand.

Currently, neither party has set out the issues in full. Instead, they suggest that OnePlus could be transferring 'sensitive personal information and screenshots'. Consequently, it is unclear what action OnePlus owners can take to mitigate any data transfers at this stage, if what Moolenaar or Krishnamoorthi assert is even occurring.

For the time being, neither Moolenaar nor Krishnamoorthi have shared evidence to verify their claims. Nonetheless, both implore the Office of Information Communications Technology and Services (OICTS) within the US Commerce Department to investigate OnePlus on this basis.