Following recent reports about mobile phones from smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi stating that the company collects data from users and would send it to foreign servers, the UBports Foundation is receiving more and more requests from organizations showing interest in their open source software for mobile phones. The UBports community offers an independent mobile operating system, as an alternative to Android and iOS, with the Linux-based mobile operating system Ubuntu Touch. After questions in Dutch parliament about the censorship software, the number of organizations that want information about Ubuntu Touch is increasing rapidly, especially from the government sector.

The independent UBports community, which has been responsible since 2017 for the continued development of the Ubuntu Touch mobile operating system, has grown considerably in recent years. UBports believes it is important that there is freedom of choice for smartphone users who need a secure alternative operating system. Ubuntu Touch is based on the open source system Linux.

Parliamentary questions about security
Xiaomi phones would not only collect data, but also have a content filter, according to research by the government in Lithuania. The content filter uses an unwanted-words-list that is not enabled in the Netherlands but on in some other countries. Lithuanian government experts say these filters can be turned on remotely. If a user types words that are 'unwanted', the device will connect to servers located outside the EU. The results of this research led to parliamentary questions this week to outgoing Dutch Minister of Justice and Security mr Grapperhaus about the use of Xiaomi telephones by Dutch government agencies. The question was also asked whether an investigation into the presence of censorship software on the smartphones could be carried out.

The UBports community previously received many requests from government agencies from both the Netherlands and Europe, but these increased significantly last week. Jeroen Baten, operational marketing manager of the UBports Foundation: “We received more than an average number of requests for information about our mobile operating system. We are very happy with that. Finally, we want to achieve the goal that everyone is free to use any open source software created by our community without restrictions. Especially for organizations where the confidentiality of information is above average important, our operating system offers a very good alternative, which also provides more digital autonomy.”

Expanding Ubuntu Touch Global Providers
UBports' efforts have resulted in Ubuntu Touch currently supporting various models of smartphones and tablets. The aim is to further expand in the coming period the number of devices that offer Ubuntu Touch pre-installed. Baten: “Our goal is to have a substantial number of Ubuntu Touch users worldwide by 2026. Because Ubuntu Touch is based on Linux and is completely open source with a super critical community as a base, we offer a safe alternative to Google and Apple.”

The growing interest in an alternative mobile operating system is evidenced by the fact that the UBports website attracts between 30,000 and 60,000 visitors monthly and that the foundation's 13 forums receive 1.2 million views per month. Good news is that an average of 40-70 developers per year participate in the further development and that 5-10 new volunteers sign up every week to contribute. The UBports community is continuously looking to expand both funding and developers to realize its goals.

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Note for editors:

More information can be found on the website of the UBports Foundation . For questions regarding this message, please contact:

Jeroen Baten, operational marketing manager UBports Foundation

jeroen@ubports.com  

About the UBports Foundation
The UBports Foundation supports a widespread and collaborative community for the development and promotion of the Ubuntu Touch open source operating system with a focus on the mobile segment. The core values ​​of this operating system are freedom of choice, privacy, protection and security. UBports believes that if this common platform can be placed at the center of the mobile computing industry, it will bring about a change that fundamentally leads to more freedom of choice for people.