For years, Samsung has been shipping its Galaxy M, F and A series smartphones in India with a little-known app appcloudDespite its name, AppCloud is not a cloud storage service, It is essentially an app-installer that offers third-party app recommendations during device setup,
On new Galaxy devices in these lineups, AppCloud appears as part of the initial onboarding and forces users to choose whether they want to install certain apps before setup is complete. You can postpone it by choosing the “Later” option, but the app continues to issue notifications until you complete the selection process or disable it completely.
For most users, AppCloud has long been considered little more than nuisance bloatware, a side effect of Samsung’s need to generate revenue beyond hardware margins while competing with aggressive Chinese smartphone brands in India.
But findings from the nonprofit SMAX earlier this year suggest that AppCloud may not be as harmless as previously thought.
AppCloud’s expansion into Asian and African markets has prompted scrutiny
Starting in 2022, Samsung is preloading AppCloud on its A and M series phones in several West Asian and North African (WANA) markets. The rollout has raised privacy concerns due to AppCloud’s ties to IronSource, a company founded in Israel and now owned by US-based Unity.
While AppCloud can be disabled, it is difficult to remove without root access. Additionally, its privacy policy is not easily available online, raising questions about transparency, user consent, and what type of data the app can collect.
IronSource itself has a controversial track record. The company previously operated an “InstallCore” program that became notorious for installing software without explicit user permission and bypassing security warnings, whose behavior led to widespread criticism and blacklisting by several anti-malware tools.
Regional sensitivities make things more controversial
The presence of Israeli-origin technology components on Samsung phones in WANA countries creates additional problems. Many nations in the region legally block Israeli companies from operating, and in light of the ongoing Israel–Palestine conflict, the preloading of an app associated with such a company becomes even more controversial.
IronSource’s Aura technology, which “customizes device experiences” by displaying apps, content and services directly on the smartphone, has been used by Samsung devices in Europe, Russia and Southeast Asia, and by telecom operators in the US; It appears to do something similar to AppCloud. However, AppCloud itself is not listed anywhere on IronSource’s websiteWhich appears to be a major cause for concern, even though the app is now owned by an American company.
Although there is no concrete evidence that AppCloud engages in questionable data practices today, the lack of an accessible privacy policy and IronSource’s past reputation is causing concern among users.
People want Samsung to answer
Consumer advocates and privacy-focused users are urging Samsung to take immediate steps, such as providing an explicit opt-out for AppCloud during setup, making its privacy policy public and accessible, and stopping preloading apps in sensitive areas altogether.
As concerns grow in various markets, Samsung will need to issue a statement to reassure customers. We’ve contacted the company for comment and will update this story when we hear back.
