Some Nokia devices have been clandestinely sending user data to China

According to a report by Norweigian outlet NRK, there have been multiple reported cases of Nokia devices in Norway sending data to Chinese servers.  It appears to be an issue specific to the Nokia 7 Plus, a popular Nokia device that was launched last year. 

The devices apparently send user data including location, SIM card number, device serial number, and IMEI's to a Chinese server, a move that effectively allows real-time tracking of the device. The server has been discovered to be owned by the state-owned China Telecoms telecommunication company.

HMD Global, after being queried by the source outlet, admitted that some of its devices had, indeed, been phoning home to China. The company has also sent out an OTA update that fixed the problem. However, it has failed to disclose the final destination or handlers of that user data, which is sketchy.

Considering the fact that the Nokia 7 Plus was sold in China, it's possible that this a freak incident that came as a result of HMD Global shipping out devices with traces of China software in them to the EU. There's also the fact that all Nokia devices are made in China by Foxconn, which introduces the risk of some sort of espoinage.

The Finnish Data Inspectorate has promised to consider looking into the matter, as it would be a direct violation of the new GDPR laws.