We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
SAMSUNG IS SAID to be considering a service that would collect a user’s phone data and share it with developers to help improve their apps.
The Information reports that the service, called Context, would collect what a person types, what apps they use, and what data their phone sensors pick up.
This data would be then shared with app developers who can tap into it and use it to improve their own offerings.
Currently, it’s unclear whether Samsung will launch the service as it has been reportedly been delayed by disagreements over whether it would actually help Samsung sell more smartphones.
The company also met up with Google to discuss the future of Android, reportedly a day before Google announced its sale of Motorola.
At the meeting, the two parties reportedly discussed putting limits on the extent to which Samsung and other device manufacturers would customise Android, although it’s not clear what conclusion either side reached.
Samsung is currently preparing to launch what it believed to be the Galaxy S V at the Mobile World Congress later this month. It revealed today what is believed to be the redesigned app icons as well as a greater focus on fitness and privacy.
The company will make the announcement on the 24th February.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The NSA/GCHQ are horny with anticipation!
I use a Samsung phone and would get another in the future providing they don’t introduce this. I think looking at what you type and what apps you use and to share with other companies is a step too far. The more I think about it the more nervous and scared I get, while new and innovative technology is all very good, nothing is private anymore. It’s like we’re being constantly watched and monitered.
These developers must be real stalkers and creeps in real life. Their level of snooping and nosyness knows no boundaries.
It’s greed, It’s all about money. Phones that market research themselves, very useful and pricey info.
Samsung are very much the new Apple. Nice and friendly, good value too but once they climb to the top of the pile they forget all about the customers. All of a sudden the S4 is €100 more than the superior HTC One and they start selling the customers’ souls to advertisers and developers. No thanks. The smartphone world is taking a nasty turn towards full disclosure but I’d still rather stay as far away as I can from the phones that submit everything you are to some company. Can’t even log in to facebook on my phone or it starts tracking everything, was on Amazon the other day and it recommended a book to me “based on videos you’ve watched” on Youtube. Don’t remember signing up for that, it’s very hard to maintain any privacy on your phone.
I just dont understand why all the current apps need to access your phone book and need to be able to make and receive calls to work. Just reading the permissions required even on the pre installed apps scares me.
I think it might be time to dig out my old Nokia 5110.
You dont simply dig out nokia 5110′s, they dig you out.
No, no. I mean dig it out. I threw it into the back of the wardrobe. Not quite sure how much it will cost for an excavator, considering the hole it created when I threw it in there. I just have to be careful I don’t damage the bucket in case I strike it in the digging operation.
Looks like ill be off to HTC after my contract ends.
Oh you will not be the only one.
I’ve got the Samsung S3 with spiderman screen for over a year now. Didn’t bother with insurance and it’s the cost of a 98 fiesta to replace the screen.
My first and last Samsung
That’s what insurance is for Larry – I have dropped the Samsung S3 twice and had both handsets replaced the next day. Agreeably the screen does break easily but for the fantastic phone it is, I’ve just put a cover on it that protects the screen and all is good :)
I would not buy a Samsung if they introduce this. Already fed up about the amount of info apps etc want to use. Unfortunately if Samsung go ahead with this you can be sure other companies will develop similar technologies. Might be digging out my old brick of a Nokia again!
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
Non-TCF/GVL Vendors
have your say