Singapore repair shops under fire as technicians caught snooping on customers’ private data
SINGAPORE, Jan 18 – A recent investigation by Channel NewsAsia's (CNA) Talking Point has exposed alarming privacy violations at mobile phone and laptop repair shops, where technicians were found accessing and copying personal data from customers’ devices without consent.
The undercover operation involved sending 40 devices for repairs, with hidden screen-recording software installed on each to monitor activities.
The report stated that shockingly, 12 technicians — three handling phones and nine handling laptops — were observed snooping through personal files and attempting to access private accounts, including Snapchat, Gmail, and OnlyFans.
In one instance, a technician copied sensitive files such as payslips, personal photographs, and password details onto an external USB drive.
The screen recordings also captured technicians browsing through customers’ photo albums and personal documents, while some tried to cover their tracks by deleting browser histories and activity logs.
The investigation was carried out in collaboration with the Greyhats group at the National University of Singapore, which highlighted the extent of the breaches and the ease with which unauthorised access to private data occurred.
CNA further stated this problem, however, is not unique to Singapore.
A separate study titled No Privacy in the Electronics Repair Industry, conducted in North America, uncovered similar incidents of technicians accessing and even stealing personal data during repairs.
Researchers noted that the violations are often concealed, making it difficult for victims to discover such breaches.
Data protection experts have urged consumers to take precautions before handing over their devices for repairs.
Steps such as removing or encrypting sensitive files, backing up data, and using strong passwords can help minimise risks.
Opting for authorised service centers or repair shops with clear privacy policies is also advised to reduce the likelihood of such incidents.
The findings have raised serious concerns about data security and privacy, with calls for stricter regulations and accountability within the electronics repair industry to protect consumers from such breaches.