YouTuber Arun Maini demonstrated two smartphones from North Korea that ended up outside the country in his video “Testing North Korea’s illegal smartphones.” During the analysis of the devices, he showed the extent of strict government regulation imposed on the digital lives of DPRK citizens. Although both phones (a budget model and the “Samtaesung 8”) run on Android 10 and 11, the operating systems have been completely overhauled for censorship, propaganda, and total control. Entering words not approved by the regime is automatically replaced with alternative phrasing or blocked. Internet access is restricted to a closed intranet with state-approved websites. The time on the phones cannot be changed, as the time zone, date, and synchronization are fully controlled by the authorities. Most applications are non-functional copies of standard programs. For example, the browser, camera, calendar, and music player are available but in a modified form, within an information bubble. Entertainment is also controlled: only specific games, Russian and Indian films, and biographical materials about the DPRK leaders are permitted on the phones. Installing new applications is impossible without going to an official store, where an employee will manually install the program with usage time restrictions. All files and photos are automatically stamped with a digital mark, and any “foreign” content is deleted. The most disturbing feature is the hidden surveillance system. The phone takes a screenshot of every application opened, creating a complete visual history of the user’s activity. File and photo transfers are impossible, Bluetooth is locked, and file access is heavily restricted. Thus, smartphones in North Korea have been transformed from personal devices into tools of control. As Arun Maini summarizes, the very concept of a personal gadget is absent in the DPRK: the phones are created not for the user, but for the state.
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