A North Korean smartphone, outwardly modern but running state-modified software, automatically screenshots every 5 minutes and censors terms like 'oppa,' replacing them with 'comrade.' The device, smuggled to Seoul and examined in June 2025, reveals relentless surveillance and language control, with warnings for using banned words and screenshots hidden from users.

Examining the phone, BBC reporters found every typed 'South Korea' changed to 'puppet state,' and youth squads in North Korea routinely stop citizens to inspect these devices for forbidden language. Screenshots are stored in inaccessible folders, letting authorities later review private activity—an Orwellian twist on smartphone security.

North Korean phones can’t access the global internet, but youth patrols still inspect text messages for banned phrases, often stopping people on the street.