SMEX is warning that Israeli-linked software secretly embedded in Samsung phones across the MENA poses a serious surveillance threat.

Rabat_ Social Media Exchange (SMEX)—a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing human rights in digital spaces across MENA [Middle East and North Africa] — is warning that Israeli-linked software secretly embedded in Samsung phones across the Middle East and North Africa region poses a serious surveillance threat.

According to SMEX, Samsung’s A and M series devices either come preloaded with the app “Aura” or install it automatically through system updates, without the user’s consent. The application reportedly collects a wide range of personal and device-specific data, including IP addresses, device fingerprints, hardware details, and network information.

      • SpiceDealer@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        4 months ago

        They recently announced that they were going to insert ads on their smart fridges. What soured me towards Samsung products was when they started to lock the bootloader on their phones where previously this wasn’t a problem.

  • N0t_5ure@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    4 months ago

    Yet another reason why running GrapheneOS is a great idea. The surveillance state is now.

      • N0t_5ure@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        4 months ago

        yes, and you have to get one that is from google and isn’t from a carrier so you can unlock the bootloader. Carrier versions have locked bootloaders.

        • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
          0·
          4 months ago

          I just bought a Pixel 10 from Spectrum with the repeated assurance that the phone would be fully unlocked after it was paid off and had several months of service. I intended to load Graphene OS, but apparently I was fucking lied to yet again by another business that will say anything to make a sale.

          I can’t do anything about that now, but I can move to another carrier and make damn sure they don’t ever make another dime off my mobile account.

          • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zipEnglish
            0·
            4 months ago

            I believe GrapheneOS is not available for the 10 series yet. I’ve been keeping on top of that since I want to change my phone in December, but so far, the last version of Pixel that is known to work with GrapheneOS is the 9 series.

        • masterofn001@lemmy.caEnglish
          0·
          4 months ago

          I have a Canadian carrier purchased phone. Brand new Pixel 9. 5$ a month. For 24 months.

          It has only ONCE booted to the Google version of Android.

          To flip the toggle to enable OEM unlock.

          I kept WiFi off and hadn’t inserted a SIM so it couldn’t update or do anything else that might have prevented flashing graphene.

          Not sure if that was necessary, but it worked.

          And now I live my life free of google software surveillance.