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Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

smex.org

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Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#31

Post by charcircuit »

hysan wrote: post #14
grishka wrote: post #8

The "unremovable" part is inaccurate. While you can't completely remove it because it resides on the system partition, you most probably can still disable it with an adb command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.package.name This command is very powerful as it works for any app, even those that have "disable" greyed out in the settings. I disabled the Galaxy Store on my S9 this way for example.

> "unremovable" > you can't completely remove it Maybe my English isn’t very good but that sounds like the definition of unremovable.

It's in a read only filesystem. You can't modify read only data, but you can choose to ignore it.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#32

Post by brianbest101 »

makeitdouble wrote: post #20
akersten wrote: post #7

In my experience, Samsung is a label that means "stay far, far away." From the Galaxy Note fiasco to my microwave to my dishwasher to ... Probably at least three other products before I learned my lesson. I even refuse to buy QD-OLED monitors out of indignation that Samsung makes the panels. Maybe I'm alone but maybe one day we'll boycott lousy companies out of business.

> Galaxy Note fiasco Has any smartphone maker succeeded in getting more than a few percent of market share, released more that 2 phones while being immune to that level of fiasco ?

It’s really hard to beat the “it’s a felony to knowingly carry our phones on to an airplane” level of fiasco

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#33

Post by Mistletoe »

averysmallbird wrote: post #22
the-anarchist wrote: post #15

As this post is trending quicker and more than I would have expected it to, I would like to add to this story: It appears to be a similar case across the MENA region. While the SMEX post primarily focuses on WANA, it is possible to find other reports (e.g. [1]) from the MENA region that describe similar practices by Samsung. There, however, the stories talk about "Aura", rather than "AppCloud". [1] https://www.morocc…

Same same. SMEX is based in Lebanon — (S)WANA is an obnoxious term that’s going around for MENA.

We don't know what any of these acronyms mean!

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#34

Post by charcircuit »

userbinator wrote: post #24

making it nearly impossible for regular users to uninstall it without root access, which voids warranties and poses security risks Stop parroting the corporate propaganda that put us into this stupid situation in the first place. Having root access on devices you own should be a fundamental right, as otherwise it's not ownership.

Root access is an outdated security concept from the previous century. Trying to mandate such a concept is parroting UNIX propaganda. Users can be given control of devices without them having a "root" account.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#35

Post by compootr »

Gigachad wrote: post #18
akersten wrote: post #7

In my experience, Samsung is a label that means "stay far, far away." From the Galaxy Note fiasco to my microwave to my dishwasher to ... Probably at least three other products before I learned my lesson. I even refuse to buy QD-OLED monitors out of indignation that Samsung makes the panels. Maybe I'm alone but maybe one day we'll boycott lousy companies out of business.

Samsung phones have been filled with preinstalled spyware since the beginning. Outside of fairly unusable Linux phones, Apple seems to be the only one taking privacy seriously.

manufacturers aside, grapheneos and lineage work well because of Google's work on their phones

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#36

Post by abtinf »

userbinator wrote: post #24

making it nearly impossible for regular users to uninstall it without root access, which voids warranties and poses security risks Stop parroting the corporate propaganda that put us into this stupid situation in the first place. Having root access on devices you own should be a fundamental right, as otherwise it's not ownership.

[flagged]

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#37

Post by OutOfHere »

Samsung currently has an unremovable spyware app on North American phones that pastes (records) everything copied to the clipboard by any app. It is the Samsung Keyboard app. It cannot be removed. It doesn't matter if you're using any other keyboard app. Samsung Keyboard pastes (records) everything that gets copied to the clipboard by any app. The Samsung Keyboard app cannot even be disabled from Android.

As an aside, I recall getting a lot more ads when I used Samsung Keyboard.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#38

Post by aussieguy1234 »

boramalper wrote: post #10

I suspect a strong link between mass surveillance (by corporations for advertising or by states for intelligence purposes) and the very recent targeting of the senior Iranian nuclear scientist and military officers at their homes in Iran. Wherever you are from or whatever side of the conflict you are on, I think we can all agree that it’s never been easier to infer so much about a person from “semi-public” sources su…

Weather apps are one of the worst offenders here. Almost all share your location info with data brokers if you give them location access.

Check the weather today, get bombed tomorrow.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#39

Post by userbinator »

abtinf wrote: post #36
userbinator wrote: post #24

making it nearly impossible for regular users to uninstall it without root access, which voids warranties and poses security risks Stop parroting the corporate propaganda that put us into this stupid situation in the first place. Having root access on devices you own should be a fundamental right, as otherwise it's not ownership.

[flagged]

There's something called "education", and by that I do not mean the propaganda that passes as such these days. Clearly you've drunk the Goog-Aid.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#40

Post by eddythompson80 »

the-anarchist wrote: post #23
eddythompson80 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the difference between WANA and MENA. Sounds like the same territory

Yes, but, no. It's one of these things where multiple terms mean the same thing but then again come from different times/areas and, upon closer inspection, mean different things. But they're the same. But not really. [1] A.k.a. I tried to be as politically correct and cite the term used by the respective reporting. The main point I was trying to bring across was that apparently there are two apps involved, not only a…

Ah, I see. Trying to find a way to include Pakistani, Afghanistan, Somalia i.e non-Arab or Persian Muslim states in the vicinity.
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