Post by jdd2 on Oct 5, 2022 21:11:23 GMT -5
And if not social media sites as mentioned, how about your phone?
I think apple is better at it, but samsung (requiring/retaining personal info and harvesting all sorts of user data) and android apps...
I think apple is better at it, but samsung (requiring/retaining personal info and harvesting all sorts of user data) and android apps...
Samsung recently updated it privacy policy for all users with a Samsung account, effective Oct. 1. One Redditor read the policy, did not like what they saw, and shared it to r/android, highlighting what they consider to be the doc’s worst policy points. The thread blew up, with Android users aplenty decrying Samsung’s new policy. But why is everyone so pissed off, and is any of it worth worrying about? Let’s explore.
Samsung’s privacy policy is a bit creepy
From the jump, the new policy doesn’t look good. In fact, it appears downright invasive. There are the standard data giveaways we’ve come to expect: When you create a Samsung account, you must give over personal information like your name, age, address, email address, gender, etc. Par for the course.
However, Samsung also notes it will collect data such as credit card information, usernames and passwords for third-party services, photos, contacts, text logs, recordings of your voice generated during voice commands, and location data, including precise location data as well as nearby wifi access points and cell towers. It might come as a surprise to know a company like Samsung can keep your chat transcripts, contacts, and voice recordings, but there’s precedent: Apple found itself in hot water when third-party contractors revealed they were able to listen in on audio recordings from Siri requests, which included all kinds of personal conversations and activities.
Samsung also tracks your general activity via cookies, pixels, web beacons, and other means. The company claims this tracking is done for a variety of reasons, including remembering your information to avoid you having to retype it in the future, and to better learn how you use their services. To achieve these goals, it collects just about everything there is to know about your device, including your IP address, device model, device settings, websites you visit, and apps you download, among many others. The policy does remind you to adjust your privacy settings if you’re uncomfortable with this default tracking (as if anyone wouldn’t be).
The company says it has a lot of uses for this information, including ad delivery, communication with customers, enhancing their services, improving their business, identifying and preventing fraud and criminal activity, and to comply with “applicable legal requirements.” Further, they reserve the right to share your information with “subsidiaries and affiliates,” “business partners and third-parties,” as well as law enforcement and other authorities. In short, depending on the circumstances, your Samsung data could end up in the hands of a lot of third parties.
Samsung’s privacy policy is a bit creepy
From the jump, the new policy doesn’t look good. In fact, it appears downright invasive. There are the standard data giveaways we’ve come to expect: When you create a Samsung account, you must give over personal information like your name, age, address, email address, gender, etc. Par for the course.
However, Samsung also notes it will collect data such as credit card information, usernames and passwords for third-party services, photos, contacts, text logs, recordings of your voice generated during voice commands, and location data, including precise location data as well as nearby wifi access points and cell towers. It might come as a surprise to know a company like Samsung can keep your chat transcripts, contacts, and voice recordings, but there’s precedent: Apple found itself in hot water when third-party contractors revealed they were able to listen in on audio recordings from Siri requests, which included all kinds of personal conversations and activities.
Samsung also tracks your general activity via cookies, pixels, web beacons, and other means. The company claims this tracking is done for a variety of reasons, including remembering your information to avoid you having to retype it in the future, and to better learn how you use their services. To achieve these goals, it collects just about everything there is to know about your device, including your IP address, device model, device settings, websites you visit, and apps you download, among many others. The policy does remind you to adjust your privacy settings if you’re uncomfortable with this default tracking (as if anyone wouldn’t be).
The company says it has a lot of uses for this information, including ad delivery, communication with customers, enhancing their services, improving their business, identifying and preventing fraud and criminal activity, and to comply with “applicable legal requirements.” Further, they reserve the right to share your information with “subsidiaries and affiliates,” “business partners and third-parties,” as well as law enforcement and other authorities. In short, depending on the circumstances, your Samsung data could end up in the hands of a lot of third parties.