Highlights
- Users worry AppCloud might act like Samsung Israeli spyware because of its developer background.
- The app comes preinstalled on Samsung’s budget phones and cannot be removed normally.
- Samsung is yet to explain why AppCloud needs deep system access and what data it handles.
I want to explain this clearly because a lot of users are confused right now. Samsung is encountering new disgruntled customer reports after a new wave of questions about an app called AppCloud arose.
This app is preinstalled on some mid-range Samsung phones like the Galaxy A, M, and F series. Earlier, it was only seen as a piece of typical bloatware that pushes random app suggestions.
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However, lately the whole conversation has changed as some people suggest that it might act as Samsung Israeli spyware.
This is due to the fact that the app was created by a certain person and the app interacts in a certain way with the phone.
Samsung’s AppCloud raises concerns again as users question its purpose
Why AppCloud became a big topic again?
AppCloud was in essence designed to display app recommendations for which Samsung would earn some extra money.
Generally, budget phones run on very slim margins, and, therefore, companies resort to such means to generate revenue.
The crux of the matter is the developer. The app was developed by ironSource, a startup company from Israel and now a part of Unity. This point is now the center of the problem.
Image Credits:Andrey MatveevonUnsplash
On X, a post claiming that AppCloud is an unremovable Israeli spyware on Samsung devices went viral. Prior to that, SMEX , a digital rights group based in Lebanon, had already sounded the alarm that the app might be collecting user data.
According to them, this would become a major issue for people living in West Asia and North Africa, as collaborating with Israeli-related companies is restricted in most of those countries.
Moreover, ironSource did not lead the cleanest of lives. Some years ago, they were involved in a software bundling scheme where users would get extra apps installed on their devices without noticing much.
Antivirus tools used to flag it as unwanted software. This past record is another reason why users feel uneasy today.
Why users are actually worried?
The heart of the issue is not the app itself but the permissions granted to it. AppCloud is categorized under the system section of the phone. Thus, you cannot remove it like a regular app.
It takes ADB tools to get rid of it. Most people are not even aware of what that is. This is the reason why people began to refer to the phrase “Samsung Israeli spyware,” because they have this feeling that they have no choice but to keep the app that they didn’t agree to, the app whose developer is involved in controversies, and there isn’t a straightforward uninstall button.
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Waiting For Samsung’s side
Currently, there isn’t any concrete evidence indicating that AppCloud is spying on users. However, the situation is enough to discomfort users when you put together its permissions, the developer’s history, and the political sensitivity around it.
At the moment, what people really want is just that. They want Samsung to come out with a statement regarding what data AppCloud collects and provide a simple way to disable it or uninstall it altogether.
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