Samsung has come under renewed criticism for an app that comes pre-installed on some affordable smartphone models. Available on Galaxy A, M, and F series devices sold in select geographic regions, this service, called “AppCloud,” offers third-party app recommendations when users set up a new phone or update their devices. While this has been considered “bloatware” for some time and has caused annoyance, the app’s connection to an Israeli-based company has sparked a new online debate.
Are Millions of Samsung Users at Risk? The AppCloud Debate Grows
According to allegations, “AppCloud” allows users to install spyware on their devices. The app’s developer is ironSource, an Israeli startup. This raises serious concerns that the app could be used as a surveillance tool, particularly in regions like Africa, the Middle East, and India. While ironSource is now owned by Unity, the app’s origins are at the center of the controversy.
This debate isn’t entirely new; It had been discussed in technology forums for about two years. However, the issue was rekindled by a post by an X (formerly Twitter) account called “International Cyber Digest.” The post, which has received over 7.4 million views, described AppCloud as “Unremovable Israeli Spyware Found on Samsung Devices.” This post rekindled existing concerns.
The post also referenced an open letter published earlier this year by SMEX, a Lebanon-based digital rights organization. In its analysis, SMEX alleges that ironSource uses AppCloud to collect user data. The organization states that this poses “serious legal and ethical issues” in West Asian and North African countries where Israel’s commercial activities are restricted.
Making the situation even more serious is that AppCloud has system permissions and therefore cannot be easily removed by users. Deleting the app requires special ADB commands that most end users are unfamiliar with or unfamiliar with. This ensures the app’s persistence on devices.
Developer ironSource’s history further reinforces such concerns. The company previously offered a service called “installCore” for Windows and macOS operating systems. This service allowed additional programs to be bundled into application installers. However, because it operates without explicit user input, it has been labeled a “potentially unwanted program (PUP)” by many antivirus programs.
AppCloud’s use for espionage purposes has not yet been officially confirmed. However, the fact that an app is pre-installed and so difficult to remove creates justified concern among users. Following these recent reactions, it’s hoped that Samsung will at least offer users the option to disable or permanently disable AppCloud.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Have you noticed the presence of AppCloud on your Samsung phone? Comment
