If you’ve searched for affordable smartphones on Amazon, you might have found a few models from Blu topping the lists. The company, Blu Products, has primarily sold its devices via Amazon. They’re affordable mid-range devices aimed at people who don’t want to spend too much money on an unlocked and off-contract device. Blu has previously been accused of loading apps on its devices that send data back to China. As those concerns have appeared once again, Amazon has decided to stop selling Blu smartphones.
Security firm Kryptowire recently revealed that Blu smartphones continue to send user data back to China. Less than a week after this report was released by the security firm, Amazon has decided to remove all Blu smartphones from its online market and will not list them again until Blu Products “resolves the issue.”
Blu previously agreed that there was a third-party app on its smartphones which collected information about text messages, contacts, and call logs. That data was then sent to servers based in China. Blu said at that time that 120,000 units of its handsets were affected by the app. It also promised to replace the app on future models.
The company has refuted the latest report from Kryptowire and has said that no data is being collected by its new devices that would affect any user’s privacy or security. The data that is being collected is “standard for OTA functionality.”
“There has been absolutely no new behavior or change in any of our devices to trigger any concern. We expect Amazon to understand this, and quickly reinstate our devices for sale,” the company said in a statement emailed to Engadget.
Amazon has not yet commented on the matter.