‘Spyware’ Furor: Samsung Under Fire Over Unremovable Israeli-Founded App

A social media storm is brewing around Samsung, which is being accused of installing “unremovable Israeli spyware” on its Galaxy smartphones, particularly the A and M series sold in certain regions. The app at the center of the controversy is AppCloud, a service intended to encourage the installation of other apps, which has existed on devices for several years.

The furor was sparked by an open letter from SMEX, a non-profit advocating for digital human rights in West Asia and North Africa. The letter called on Samsung to “end forced Israeli-founded bloatware installations.” AppCloud was developed by the Israeli firm ironSource (now owned by the U.S. company Unity), which SMEX claims has a controversial history regarding data privacy and user consent.

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SMEX alleges that AppCloud is “unremovable, deeply integrated” into the operating system, making it impossible for regular users to uninstall without risking their device warranty. Furthermore, critics claim the app silently harvests user data, though the article clarifies that AppCloud is a marketing tool, not a “nation state collection tool” as some viral posts have claimed.

Samsung responded to the criticism, emphasizing its commitment to user data protection and security in compliance with local laws. However, the company’s statement did not address questions about the data collected or offer users a direct option to delete the app. Experts agree that any pre-installed app without a simple removal option creates awkward optics and undermines user control.