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Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

(smex.org)
845 points the-anarchist | 2 comments | 21 Jun 25 03:06 UTC | HN request time: 0.419s | source
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AlotOfReading ◴[21 Jun 25 03:43 UTC] No.44334298[source]▶
Because the link is down:

https://web.archive.org/web/20250506145643/https://smex.org/...

The article leaves out quite a lot about what AppCloud is, but it's essentially how Samsung monetizes their non-flagship device users and can do things like insert installation advertisements into the notification tray, and silently install apps.

Personally, if I found this on my device it'd be the final straw to grit my teeth and finally get a personal apple device.

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andrewflnr ◴[21 Jun 25 03:50 UTC] No.44334329[source]▶
Or just don't get Samsung? I guess I don't know for sure that my phone brand doesn't do anything similar, but it at least hasn't hit the news yet.
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aucisson_masque ◴[21 Jun 25 05:55 UTC] No.44334908[source]▶
All Android phone but pixel ones have bloatware preinstalled. Some are worst, like Xiaomi.

If you don’t want bloatware (spyware), it’s either pixel or iPhone.

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1. burnt-resistor ◴[21 Jun 25 06:02 UTC] No.44334935[source]▶
The trick is to define "bloatware". Is that known knowns (stuff that's visible), known unknowns (stuff that's added that's not visible), and/or unknown unknowns (stuff added we are pretty sure is there but can't prove)? Apple adds all kinds of carrier-specific crap on every phone, but it's not readily discoverable. Android mfgrs must also because of carrier contracts and country-specific regulatory approval requirements. There's likely little means of escaping this without a BYOD non-Android, non-overseas, non-Apple phone that may or may not exist. Surely there is an obvious, viable alternative somewhere I'm missing that I hope exists.
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2. scarface_74 ◴[21 Jun 25 13:09 UTC] No.44337331[source]▶
What carrier specific crap does Apple add?