Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

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.

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.

> AppCloud—pre-installed on Samsung’s A and M series smartphones.

Samsung’s A and M series smartphones are their cheapest models so their buyers probably cannot afford better phones. I don’t know of any other brands selling in the region with similarly priced models that have better privacy practices than Samsung either—they’re all the same at that price point I’m afraid.

In my case I wanted a damn SD card slot. And more than 2 years of security updates.

Ano now you see why Samsung is able to provide all that at an attractive price. The real costs are hidden.