Budget phones in the US come with spyware
 

So it is not just a Chinese thing

Pre-installed malware has been discovered on another budget handset connected to Assurance Wireless by Virgin Mobile.

In January, cybersecurity researchers from Malwarebytes discovered unremovable malware bundled with the Android operating systems on the Unimax (UMX) U686CL, a low-end handset sold by Assurance Wireless as part of the Lifeline Assistance program, a 1985 U.S. initiative which subsidises telephone services for low-income families.

There was no way to remove a pair of apps on the handsets which would install other software on the devices without the user's knowledge.

https://fudzilla.com/news/51158-budg...e-with-spyware