Plenty people wey dey use smartphone sabi say their phone dey collect some data. But wetin dem no dey expect na sey one hidden system app dey inside, wey join one company wey get long history for online tracking, and you no fit delete am.

Na exactly dis kain thing wey users of some Samsung budget phones for West Asia and North Africa just discover.

The app wey dem dey call AppCloud na ironSource develop — ironSource na software company wey start for Israel and now US company Unity don buy am. Samsung dey call am “marketing tool”, but e deep inside the phone system software, you no fit remove am, and e get special permissions pass the ones normal apps get.

For plenty users, that tin raise red flag, especially as surveillance technologies wey get connection to Israel dey under more global checking.

The matter quickly blow online, and Samsung come release press statement sey dem “takes the protection of our users’ data very seriously” and dem dey committed to “providing a secure experience” and “user control.”

But the statement no explain why AppCloud no fit remove, which kind data e dey collect, or if users go get more control.

When TRT World call dem make dem clear things well, the company no reply.

One digital occupation

Wetin dey worry researchers pass na how deep AppCloud don enter for inside device — pass wetin Samsung don publicly admit.

International Cyber Digest (ICD) report say: "The app na Samsung install for the phone. Even if you disable am, e go dey activate again after every update."

The editor wey no want make dem show im name call the app "spyware" because e fit collect user data and e fit receive updates wey fit extend wetin e fit do.

Regional digital rights group SMEX na dem first shout alarm earlier this year. For open letter dem criticise Samsung for “forced bloatware installations” wey attach to ironSource, and warn say AppCloud “deeply integrated” enter system processes in ways ordinary users no fit control.

Their technical review show say you no fit remove the app unless you root the device — thing wey go void warranty, bring security risk, and many users no sabi how to do am.

Na here the kain digital occupation logic dey come. IronSource dey part of Israeli tech ecosystem wey tools dem don dey use for population-level tracking, profiling, and targeting people behaviour for long.

The thing be say AppCloud no dey show — no icon, no splash screen, no consent prompt — and that one make people believe say na surveillance wey dey hide for plain sight.

Even when people disable am, plenty people report say e come back after system updates, and e resume background activity without consent.

Permission, consumer rights and privacy

Pre-installed software don be long time problem for budget phones, and Samsung no be first wey people dey criticize. Wetin make this case different na the lack of transparency about wetin AppCloud fit do.

Screenshots wey dey circulate online show say the app fit access network information, download files, and even keep the device awake.

IronSource, wey dem found for Tel Aviv around 2010, build their early business on software distribution and monetisation. Their main product InstallCore dey bundle extra programmes inside downloads, and security vendors mark am as Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA) because e dey install stealthy and get consent wahala.

Even with that reputation, ironSource spread their business worldwide, merge and buy other companies before Unity buy them.

For 2022, Samsung partner with ironSource for mobile devices for Middle East and North Africa (MENA), supposedly to “enhance device experience”.

IronSource’s Aura suite — one preloaded app and content distribution system for device makers — don already dey on Samsung devices for more than 30 markets, including Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia, and India. The partnership make ironSource become Samsung’s only pre-installation partner for more than 50 markets across MENA.

The controversy show one bigger problem: digital inequality.

AppCloud dey mostly show for Samsung budget and mid-range models — phones wey dem dey sell for areas wey regulation weak and consumer protection no strong.

So people wey fit buy higher-end Samsung models still dey enjoy cleaner software and more control, while budget users no get choice but accept wetin dem pack for their devices.

"Dem don fit do this mostly for regions wey privacy laws and regulatory oversight weak," ICD talk.

"E dey more hard to rollout something like this for places like Europe, wey get stronger data protection rules and active regulators wey make these practices hard to justify."