In North Korea, your phone secretly takes screenshots every 5 minutes for government surveillance
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in the west too our phones spy on us but everyone knows, everyone thinks it’s bad, and yet nobody cares
well, I don't have anything to hide. Do you?
edit: because the sarcasm was lost on some, I am not advocating for this message.
I am mocking it.
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All mobile manufacturers could be doing this too. All of the SoCs are proprietary black boxes as are the modems.
I ve heard this a lot, how are modems black boxes?
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I switched off my iphone autocorrect years ago for tge same reasons
for tge same
We noticed.
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I ve heard this a lot, how are modems black boxes?
No hardware documentation whatsoever. We don't know what registers and instructions exist at the lowest levels.
As far as I am aware, there is no way to totally shut off and verify all cellular connections made, like to pass all traffic through a logged filter.
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I call that a normal day at Google or Meta
At least you can choose not to use their services. Not much choosing going on in North Korea
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Did you also build it from source?
GrapheneOS has reproducible builds.
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Why doesn't China, North Korea's biggest trading partner, pressure them to be less authoritarian?
This isn't really up to China, NK won't listen because it's not really up to them either. Most authoritarians would love to scale the repression down, but you can only do it while political and economic climate is right (without losing your power and your head)
If you signal to your citizens that they can speak more freely, the first thing out of their mouths will be Hey why did you do that fucked up thing?
Thus, you can "loosen the bolts" only when you are safe in your position of power and don't mind a few concessions to the masses. "Yes we overstepped a few lines, but it was all the fault of this one bad man and also look at all this bread we have now!"
This is why authoritarian countries usually have "seasons".
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At least you can choose not to use their services. Not much choosing going on in North Korea
At least you can choose not to use their services.
I guess a smart phone would be a luxury item in NK. So one could chose not to use one instead of being tracked?
In Germany the government and police use the word Quellentelekommunikationsüberwachung (telecommunication source surveillance) when they express their desire to have a Trojan on someone's phone - to protect the children of course.
So the phenomenon is not unknown outside of NK.
Edit: fixed translation, thanks Muehe
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I didn't say both sides are the same. I made a stupid joke about a garbage operating system and the garbage company that runs it.
And your example of stopping people on the streets to inspect their phones doesn't really do a great job at making the argument you're trying to make. We have ICE running around and throwing people into contracted prisons even when they have proof of citizenship. We are trafficking people to foreign concentration camps. We are rocketing at light speed to a techno fascist authoritarian state and the level of surveillance we are under is increasing at a mind boggling pace.
So we aren't the same, and the people currently in charge are striving to make the differences smaller every day.
I made a stupid joke
Nah, the joke was fine. They overreacted.
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The article doesn't source literally any of these claims...
It’s literally propaganda. For some reason I subjected myself to watching the BBC video that the article referenced and screenshotting the Korean text that the BBC video purports is autocorrecting terms in real time. Below are the findings
The only (half) correct claims they make are the “South Korea” and “comrade” translations, but they could just have set the autocorrect in the phone’s settings for each and every word in this video, before making it lmfao
Completely baseless claims and frankly pathetic attempt. Crazy how this shit spreads like wildfire
Based on the provided files, here's the translation analysis: 1. **IMG_0283.png:** South Korea 남한 | 1 ### Translation Analysis: 1. **Korean Text**: `남한` (pronounced "Nam-han") - **Literal Translation**: - `남` = "South" - `한` = Short for "한국" (Hanguk), meaning "Korea" - **Correct Translation**: **"South Korea"** 2. **English Caption**: The English text `South Korea` **perfectly matches** the Korean term `남한`. 3. **Additional Note**: The `| 1` appears to be a separator and numerical indicator (e.g., a menu/item number), **not part of the translation**. ### Conclusion: ✅ **Yes, the English translation is 100% correct.** - `남한` is the standard Korean term for "South Korea" (contrasted with `북한` for "North Korea"). ### Extra Context: - While `대한민국` (Daehan Minguk) is the formal/official name ("Republic of Korea"), `남한` is the universally used shorthand in daily language and media. 2. **IMG_0282.png:** * Korean Word: **동지** (dong-ji) - Found in the `[file content begin]` section near the bottom ("Comrade / 동지"). * English Caption: **Comrade** * Caption Correct? **Yes**. "동지" (dong-ji) directly translates to "Comrade". It's a term often used in socialist/communist contexts or historically in leftist movements in Korea. 3. **IMG_0281.png:** * Korean Word: **동지** (dong-ji) - Found under "Comrade". * English Caption: **Comrade** * Caption Correct? **Yes**. (Same translation as above). 4. ** Based on the content in **IMG_0284.jpeg**: Puppet state + 과뢰지역 ### Translation Analysis: 1. **Korean Text**: `과뢰지역` - This appears to be a **misspelling** of the correct term `괴뢰 지역` (goe-roe ji-yeok). - `괴뢰` = "puppet" (referring to a politically controlled entity) - `지역` = "region" or "area" - **Correct Translation**: **"Puppet region"** or **"Puppet state"** (contextually equivalent). 2. **English Caption**: `Puppet state` is **semantically correct** but not a literal translation. - The Korean term specifies "region" (`지역`), not "state" (`국가`). 3. **Accuracy Assessment**: - ⚠️ **Conceptually Similar**: The core meaning ("puppet regime/entity") is somewhat conveyed. - ⚠️ **Terminology Nuance**: - A stricter translation would be "puppet region" (less common in English). ### Conclusion: **The English caption is functionally correct** for real-world usage, though it slightly generalizes the Korean term. The minor spelling error (`과뢰` → `괴뢰`) doesn’t affect the meaning. ### Additional Notes: - The correct Korean spelling is **`괴뢰`**, not `과뢰` (likely a typo). - In historical/political contexts (e.g., Korean War), "괴뢰 정권" (puppet regime) or "괴뢰 국가" (puppet state) are commonly used. **Summary of Korean Words & Translations:** * The *only* Korean word appearing in the provided files is **동지** (dong-ji). * Its English caption, **Comrade**, is **correct**. -
A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea is offering a rare – and unsettling – glimpse into the extent of control Kim Jong Un's regime exerts over its citizens, down to the very words they type. While the device appears outwardly similar to any modern smartphone, its software reveals a far more oppressive reality.
The phone was featured in a BBC video, which showed it powering on with an animated North Korean flag waving across the screen. While the report did not specify the brand, the design and user interface closely resembled those of a Huawei or Honor device.It's unclear whether these companies officially sell phones in North Korea, but if they do, the devices are likely customized with state-approved software designed to restrict functionality and facilitate government surveillance.
One of the more revealing – and darkly amusing – features was the phone's automatic censorship of words deemed problematic by the state. For instance, when users typed oppa, a South Korean term used to refer to an older brother or a boyfriend, the phone automatically replaced it with comrade. A warning would then appear, admonishing the user that oppa could only refer to an older sibling.
Typing "South Korea" would trigger another change. The phrase was automatically replaced with "puppet state," reflecting the language used in official North Korean rhetoric.
Then came the more unsettling features. The phone silently captured a screenshot every five minutes, storing the images in a hidden folder that users couldn't access. According to the BBC, authorities could later review these images to monitor the user's activity.
The device was smuggled out of North Korea by Daily NK, a Seoul-based media outlet specializing in North Korean affairs. After examining the phone, the BBC confirmed that the censorship mechanisms were deeply embedded in its software. Experts say this technology is designed not only to control information but also to reinforce state messaging at the most personal level.
Smartphone usage has grown in North Korea in recent years, but access remains tightly controlled. Devices cannot connect to the global internet and are subject to intense government surveillance.
The regime has reportedly intensified efforts to eliminate South Korean cultural influence, which it views as subversive. So-called "youth crackdown squads" have been deployed to enforce these rules, frequently stopping young people on the streets to inspect their phones and review text messages for banned language.
Some North Korean escapees have shared that exposure to South Korean dramas or foreign radio broadcasts played a key role in their decision to flee the country. Despite the risks, outside media continues to be smuggled in – often via USB sticks and memory cards hidden in food shipments. Much of this effort is supported by foreign organizations.
So much whataboutism in the comments
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At least you can choose not to use their services.
I guess a smart phone would be a luxury item in NK. So one could chose not to use one instead of being tracked?
In Germany the government and police use the word Quellentelekommunikationsüberwachung (telecommunication source surveillance) when they express their desire to have a Trojan on someone's phone - to protect the children of course.
So the phenomenon is not unknown outside of NK.
Edit: fixed translation, thanks Muehe
use the word Quellentelekommunikationsüberwachung
Yeah, right, as if that can be used by humans, or if it's even a word.
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frequently stopping young people on the streets to inspect their phones and review text messages for banned language
I'm really tired of people saying "both sides are the same" when it comes to western capitalist exploitation vs eastern totalitarian authoritarianism.
It's ironically so privileged to even make the comparison because if it were the same, you wouldn't have been allowed to make this comment.
I totally agree. Stuff like Microsoft recall is not great and America under Trump neither, but it is nothing compared to North Korea. That is a hellhole nobody who grew up in a free western society really can even imagine.
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At least you can choose not to use their services. Not much choosing going on in North Korea
North korean are forced to use a smartphone?
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A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea is offering a rare – and unsettling – glimpse into the extent of control Kim Jong Un's regime exerts over its citizens, down to the very words they type. While the device appears outwardly similar to any modern smartphone, its software reveals a far more oppressive reality.
The phone was featured in a BBC video, which showed it powering on with an animated North Korean flag waving across the screen. While the report did not specify the brand, the design and user interface closely resembled those of a Huawei or Honor device.It's unclear whether these companies officially sell phones in North Korea, but if they do, the devices are likely customized with state-approved software designed to restrict functionality and facilitate government surveillance.
One of the more revealing – and darkly amusing – features was the phone's automatic censorship of words deemed problematic by the state. For instance, when users typed oppa, a South Korean term used to refer to an older brother or a boyfriend, the phone automatically replaced it with comrade. A warning would then appear, admonishing the user that oppa could only refer to an older sibling.
Typing "South Korea" would trigger another change. The phrase was automatically replaced with "puppet state," reflecting the language used in official North Korean rhetoric.
Then came the more unsettling features. The phone silently captured a screenshot every five minutes, storing the images in a hidden folder that users couldn't access. According to the BBC, authorities could later review these images to monitor the user's activity.
The device was smuggled out of North Korea by Daily NK, a Seoul-based media outlet specializing in North Korean affairs. After examining the phone, the BBC confirmed that the censorship mechanisms were deeply embedded in its software. Experts say this technology is designed not only to control information but also to reinforce state messaging at the most personal level.
Smartphone usage has grown in North Korea in recent years, but access remains tightly controlled. Devices cannot connect to the global internet and are subject to intense government surveillance.
The regime has reportedly intensified efforts to eliminate South Korean cultural influence, which it views as subversive. So-called "youth crackdown squads" have been deployed to enforce these rules, frequently stopping young people on the streets to inspect their phones and review text messages for banned language.
Some North Korean escapees have shared that exposure to South Korean dramas or foreign radio broadcasts played a key role in their decision to flee the country. Despite the risks, outside media continues to be smuggled in – often via USB sticks and memory cards hidden in food shipments. Much of this effort is supported by foreign organizations.
A state that sees it's citizens as a threat is broken by design and needs to be
changedfixed. It goes against the very idea of a state. -
All mobile manufacturers could be doing this too. All of the SoCs are proprietary black boxes as are the modems.
That secret screenshot folder would eat up your storage quite fast, and it would be known, from whistleblowers, workers having to check the screenshots, "proof coming out from it" etc etc etc
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frequently stopping young people on the streets to inspect their phones and review text messages for banned language
I'm really tired of people saying "both sides are the same" when it comes to western capitalist exploitation vs eastern totalitarian authoritarianism.
It's ironically so privileged to even make the comparison because if it were the same, you wouldn't have been allowed to make this comment.
I agree, western capitalist exploitation is far worse, but privileged liberals in the imperial core aren't the main victim, and they only care if their billionaire owned media tells them to.
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So much whataboutism in the comments
Yep, confunding dictatorships with google, sweeping Kim's regimes horrors under the mat.
It's almost like yes we have problems in our democracies but being put in prison because you don't want to starve to death isn't really on the list for us.
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This isn't really up to China, NK won't listen because it's not really up to them either. Most authoritarians would love to scale the repression down, but you can only do it while political and economic climate is right (without losing your power and your head)
If you signal to your citizens that they can speak more freely, the first thing out of their mouths will be Hey why did you do that fucked up thing?
Thus, you can "loosen the bolts" only when you are safe in your position of power and don't mind a few concessions to the masses. "Yes we overstepped a few lines, but it was all the fault of this one bad man and also look at all this bread we have now!"
This is why authoritarian countries usually have "seasons".
Yes, it's also that authoritarian leaders grow plenty of friends and relatives who'd done really fucked up things. It's not in their control to just do the oppression legally and possibly to explain (as in "it was such a time", "those were imperfect measures and we've found a better way"), if they don't do serial murder\rape and drugs trade and racket and theft, someone of their surroundings will.
That's probably also why western political climates are slowly becoming more authoritarian - it's the same mechanism, just much smaller and slower. Maybe it's not drugs\murders\theft, but it's gray legal area tax evasion, suppose. Then after a few years it's something a bit worse, and so on, gradually.
Like it's impossible to make an eternal engine, it's impossible to make a political system without this.
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That secret screenshot folder would eat up your storage quite fast, and it would be known, from whistleblowers, workers having to check the screenshots, "proof coming out from it" etc etc etc
There is certainly validity in the concept that no known instance of exploitation exists. However that is only anecdotal. The potential exists. Naïve trust in others has a terrible track record on these scales of ethics. Every instruction and register should be fully documented for every product sold.
An adequate webp image is only a few tens of kilobytes. Most people now have a bridged connection between their home network and cellular, unless they go out of their way to block it. Periodic screenshots are rather crazy. It would be much easier to target specific keywords and patterns.
