ByteDance denies reports of regulatory meeting over Doubao AI Phone

ByteDance’s large language model Doubao announced on December 1 the launch of a mobile assistant and a partnership with ZTE to introduce the “Doubao AI Phone,” the nubia M153. As a system-level mobile assistant with elevated permissions, Doubao is designed to operate smartphones in a human-like manner, aiming to reshape human–computer interaction. The AI product quickly became a focal point of public discussion in China. However, concerns over the security of AI mobile assistants soon followed. Recent media reports claimed that regulators had summoned ByteDance executives over worries related to cybersecurity, data security, and potential competition issues. In response, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday that the reports were untrue. ByteDance has issued multiple public statements explaining and defending the security of the Doubao mobile assistant. [Jiwei, in Chinese]