In North Korea, where the government maintains strict control over many aspects of individuals' lives, including internet and media access, the claim that phones automatically take screenshots every five minutes to monitor users’ activities might seem plausible given the regime's expansive surveillance practices. However, there’s no concrete evidence to substantiate the specific claim that smartphones in North Korea are programmed to automatically capture screenshots at such frequent intervals for monitoring purposes.
The regime is known to use advanced surveillance techniques. Mobile devices in North Korea are typically stripped of many features found in Western smartphones and are limited to domestically produced models such as those made by Mangyongdae Information Technology Corporation. These devices come equipped with pre-installed software that restricts and monitors their use. For example, they generally cannot access the global internet, but only a domestic intranet known as Kwangmyong, which is heavily censored by the state.
Moreover, North Korean authorities have implemented apps on mobile devices that can monitor and immediately delete any unauthorized content. The North Korean operating system, known as Red Star OS, is another layer through which surveillance occurs; it's designed to watermark files on USB sticks and hard drives to trace the spread of each file and has features that make circumventing government controls incredibly difficult. This operating system can manipulate files and monitor user behavior without the user's knowledge.
While devices might not take screenshots every five minutes, this doesn't detract from the reality that digital surveillance is pervasive throughout the country. Citizens using smartphones and other digital technology remain under the watchful eye of the regime, which employs a variety of methods to ensure compliance and control over information. As with many claims about North Korea, the specifics can often be hard to verify due to the state's secretive nature, but the overall climate of surveillance and control aligns with what is known about the regime's approach to governance.
