Thread by @WolfieChristl

Samsung's stock health app now showing ads on a friend's Samsung S9 phone, which he bought for hundreds of €.

'Receive marketing information' in the device/privacy settings turned off.

I wonder what kinds of personal data Samsung health app processes/transmits for purposes other than providing health/fitness functionalities.

According to Exodus, the app version installed on the device has Google stuff embedded, as well as AutoNavi/Amap.
reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/166…

Samsung's health app has its own settings (thx @greylines101), and both 'Marketing notifications' and 'Personalize Samsung Health', which is about 'recommendations and content based on your use of Samsung Health', are also turned off on the device.

Showing ads on stock apps for a device worth hundreds of € is generally a no-go.

Tricking users into opting in with dark patterns or opt-in-per-default would be really bad.

Showing ads even though the corresponding settings are turned off looks like a major fail @SamsungMobile

There have been reports on Samsung's health app showing ads (for some users?) since at least last year, I missed that:
reddit.com/r/galaxys10/co…
reddit.com/r/galaxys10/co…
androidpolice.com/2020/06/11/sam…

And look at that. At least since May 2020 (reddit.com/r/galaxys10/co…), and until as recently as on 25 February 2021 (play.google.com/store/apps/det…), Samsung has been telling users:

"Please note that the Samsung Health app does not contain any ads"

...wat? 🤔

[screenshot by me]

According to Reddit users, Samsung Health didn't only show ads for Samsung products but also third-party ads.

One user got an ad for betterhelp.com:
reddit.com/r/galaxys10/co…

A health/fitness app showing ads for mental health counceling? This is getting worse and worse.

In addition, I wonder if anyone keeps track of which third-party data companies major vendors such as Samsung are integrating into os and stock apps.

For example, Samsung phones had Cheetah Mobile's Clean Master embedded 2015-2018:
prnewswire.com/news-releases/…
seekingalpha.com/article/416513…

Now Samsung's stock health app is integrated with AutoNavi/Amap, a mapping/nav and location services provider owned by Alibaba.

Can we be sure that Amap processes exact location data strictly on behalf of Samsung and doesn't use it for other purposes?
reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/166…

Amap sees itself as the "largest location-based data
intelligence platform in China". According to this 2018 presentation, it's embedded in 300,000 apps, provides all kinds of services including targeted marketing & partners with local+federal authorities:
alibabagroup.com/en/ir/presenta…

I think advertising on - and personal data sharing by - major smartphone vendors at both os and stock app levels, especially by stock apps for sensitive purposes such as health, are a much larger deal than advertising on - and personal sharing by - other apps and websites.