A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed the regime's extensive digital surveillance system, with devices automatically capturing screenshots every five minutes and storing them in hidden folders completely inaccessible to users.
The BBC's analysis of the smuggled device showed that North Korean authorities can later review these covertly captured images to monitor citizens' phone activities and identify those consuming banned content.
The surveillance system extends beyond screenshots to include automatic text replacement, where popular South Korean words are automatically substituted with regime-approved terminology without user knowledge or consent.
This hidden surveillance capability operates completely without user awareness, with the screenshots being transmitted directly to authorities while remaining invisible to the phone's owner, creating a comprehensive monitoring network.
The discovery highlights the extraordinary lengths to which Kim Jong Un's regime goes to combat foreign influences and maintain strict information control, representing one of the most invasive smartphone surveillance systems ever documented by international security researchers.
