Your favourite corporation has joined forces with a dubious organisation.
The brand-new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 appear to be excellent smartphones. Even though I’m not a big fan of foldable phones, I can get the Z Flip 4’s attraction and think it’s perhaps the “funniest” phone we’ve ever seen. However, there is one thing about each of them in particular that annoys me: Samsung’s recent alliance with Meta.
At the very end of the Unpacked presentation, I discovered a slide on the big screen that lists Samsung’s official partners. You probably had no idea this is a thing. It’s not unexpected because every phone firm releases new products with that in mind. I was taken aback to find Meta there.
With the release of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4, we contacted both Samsung and Meta and received confirmation that there is, in fact, a unique or innovative cooperation between the two. On the consumer side, it’s a means to use Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp’s Flexcam mode, in which you fold the phone in a way that functions as a kickstand to use the cameras.
But I’m not worried about the consumer side of things. It’s wonderful that you can do this right away with Meta’s apps, but it also means that, as one of Samsung’s data-sharing partners, Meta may have access to more of your data than it normally would.
For now, the operative term is “could.” There is no way to tell what information is shared with Meta or if it is additional to the data that the firm already gathers from every user of Instagram or WhatsApp. However, the fact that it is feasible raises concerns. Samsung will sell a lot more foldables in 2022–2023, and Meta doesn’t need more data from any of them.
Everyone is concerned about partnerships and data sharing. All businesses want our data because they can use it to make money in one way or another, but some have a proven track record of doing so. One of those companies is Samsung.
When you first set up a Samsung phone, you are prompted to accept a few Samsung regulations, most likely without reading them. In a nutshell, they claim that Samsung will get some of your data while remaining hands-off with others (such as your health information, religion, or sexual orientation), but they assure you that they would treat it carefully. It can share some of your data with trusted partners and use this information to improve its phones, applications, and services.
In the same way that I trust Apple, Microsoft, and even Google, I have faith in Samsung to uphold its end of the bargain. These businesses only use the information we have authorised them to use.
The same cannot be said of Meta, whose scandalous and uncountable breaches of the public trust are legendary. Recall that in exchange for payment, this corporation permitted others to meddle with American elections. Regardless of your political stance, you must acknowledge that Facebook has no business being involved. It accomplished this using our ostensibly private user data.
Now Samsung, a firm we can believe in (as much as you can believe in any IT company, anyway), seems to believe in Meta. Perhaps it doesn’t, and the business is aware that Meta might misuse our data, but working with it suggests that it does.
They have more permissions because Instagram and other pre-installed Meta applications are available in the operating system. Those crucial components that are built into the OS remain even after removal.
I know that, to a lot of people, I sound like a cranky old man who should wear a tinfoil hat and that you have nothing to hide. I also know this is one of the times I am right, and the collection and abuse of our private data is a terrible problem. Allow others to care for you even though you don’t have to.
I’m not suggesting that you avoid purchasing a Flip 4 or a Fold 4, as both are now among the greatest Android smartphones available. I’m merely telling everyone that Meta is unreliable because it has repeatedly showed us that we shouldn’t trust it with our personal information.
Perhaps the business is making an effort to make things right, and privacy-related scandals won’t continue in the future. If so, we can also alter how much we trust someone. Hopefully none of these worries are justified because Samsung will take steps to prevent Meta from abusing our data.
Please be aware of your commitments in the interim.
