After the supposed security breach, Samsung had to respond to a controversy formed on social networks. Last Monday (6), a user posted on Reddit an alarmingly titled topic: “Chinese Spyware Preinstalled on All Samsung Phones”.
According to the author, Samsung ‘s “Device Care” application is sending some data to Chinese servers without alerting users. For those who do not know, this tool is installed by default on all devices of the Galaxy line and can not be removed from the smartphone.
As its function is to scan the user’s mobile phone for files that can be deleted, the application has access to all data from the device. So by sending this information to a server in China, the tool was placed at the center of the controversy.
Shortly thereafter, a more detailed explanation was posted on Reddit. The Device Care tool was developed in collaboration with the Chinese company Qihoo 360. Recently, the company has become a subject of discussion for following censorship guidelines in China.
With the situation worrying a lot of people, Samsung itself has made it public to state that users need not worry. The South Korean company said data sent to servers in China is generic and necessary information to optimize storage on the smartphone.
Only the operating system version, phone model, storage capacity and other device data are sent. Qihoo has a reference library to identify unwanted files and data sent to servers does not identify the user.
In response to The Verge, a Samsung spokesman still sought to calm the audience :
Samsung takes the protection of our users’ data very seriously, and we design our products with privacy and security in mind. The storage optimization process, including scanning and removal of unwanted files, is fully managed by Samsung’s device service solution.
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With South Korea’s explanation, the trade war scenario is beginning to worry about the average citizen. An example of this is the accusation that Huawei spies on governments and users on behalf of the Beijing regime.
Source: theverge