Samsung sells you an $800 tablet and shows you ads in the weather app, payment app, and game launcher. The operating system itself is an advertising platform — and they call this "prioritizing your privacy.". Samsung calls it "customization" but it reads your texts, analyzes who you call most, scans your calendar, and tracks every website you visit — all to show you ads. This is on by default on a device you paid full price for.
What they claim: Samsung Customization Service described as providing "an enhanced user experience, including customized content and recommendations."
What we found: Collects: complete contact list, call/text history (analyzed "to determine your relationships with others"), calendar data ("to identify your location"), full browsing history including search keywords. Enabled by default during setup. Ctrl.blog: "a handful of minor features in exchange for a lot of personal information."
What they claim: Samsung privacy policy: "We know how important privacy is to our customers." Samsung's security page promotes Knox "defense-grade security."
What we found: Samsung embeds ads in stock apps (Weather, Samsung Free, Pay, Health, Gaming Hub). Ad SDK is non-removable system component. Samsung Ads Privacy Notice confirms Samsung operates its own ad network collecting identifiers, online activity, geolocation.
What they claim: Knox marketed as "defense-grade security" with "multiple layers of defense." Documentation: "data collection restricted to only that which is necessary."
What we found: Knox collects IMEI, serial, OS version, app package names on ALL devices including consumer tablets. Knox Privacy Policy admits "third-party analytics services such as Google Analytics." Knox Asset Intelligence sends near-real-time telemetry.
What they claim: Samsung offers "tools to help you manage your privacy." Users can "manage your personal information."
What we found: Facebook App Manager pre-installed as system app via commercial partnership. Cannot be uninstalled, only disabled to ~53KB stub. TIME: "Samsung Users Cannot Delete Facebook." Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy): "These apps power the spy in your pocket." Removal requires ADB or root.
What they claim: Galaxy Tab S9 marketed as premium tablet ($799.99 MSRP) with "premium experience" and "Galaxy AI."
What we found: Despite premium pricing: ads in stock apps, pre-installed Facebook, Customization Service harvesting data, Samsung operating ad network. California disclosure confirms sharing with ad networks, analytics providers, social networks.
What they claim: Samsung announced "up to 7 years" of security updates (Jan 2024), marketed as industry-leading commitment.
What we found: Tab S9 on quarterly schedule, not monthly. US variant stuck on Nov 2023 patch through Mar 2024 — 4 month gap. During gaps, CVE-2024-44068 and CVE-2025-21042 (LANDFALL spyware) remained unpatched on tablets while phones got fixes first.
What they claim: Samsung: "we continuously innovate to address evolving threats." Publishes monthly Security Maintenance Releases.
What we found: LANDFALL spyware exploited CVE-2025-21042 from mid-2024. Samsung patched April 2025 — 8+ months of active exploitation. Unit 42 found spyware in DNG files targeting Samsung devices. CISA KEV Nov 2025. Tab S9 quarterly schedule = even longer exposure.
What they claim: Samsung collects data "necessary for basic operation." Knox: "data collection restricted to only that which is necessary."
What we found: Trinity College Dublin (Leith et al., 2021): Samsung simultaneously transmits to Samsung, Google, AND Microsoft — even for apps never opened. Google Ad ID sent to Samsung enabling cross-party linking. Microsoft apps transmit to aria.microsoft.com without being opened.