SMEX is warning that Israeli-linked software secretly embedded in Samsung phones across the MENA poses a serious surveillance threat.

Rabat_ Social Media Exchange (SMEX)—a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing human rights in digital spaces across MENA [Middle East and North Africa] — is warning that Israeli-linked software secretly embedded in Samsung phones across the Middle East and North Africa region poses a serious surveillance threat.

According to SMEX, Samsung’s A and M series devices either come preloaded with the app “Aura” or install it automatically through system updates, without the user’s consent. The application reportedly collects a wide range of personal and device-specific data, including IP addresses, device fingerprints, hardware details, and network information.

  • N0t_5ure@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    18 days ago

    yes, and you have to get one that is from google and isn’t from a carrier so you can unlock the bootloader. Carrier versions have locked bootloaders.

    • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      0·
      18 days ago

      I just bought a Pixel 10 from Spectrum with the repeated assurance that the phone would be fully unlocked after it was paid off and had several months of service. I intended to load Graphene OS, but apparently I was fucking lied to yet again by another business that will say anything to make a sale.

      I can’t do anything about that now, but I can move to another carrier and make damn sure they don’t ever make another dime off my mobile account.

      • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zipEnglish
        0·
        16 days ago

        I believe GrapheneOS is not available for the 10 series yet. I’ve been keeping on top of that since I want to change my phone in December, but so far, the last version of Pixel that is known to work with GrapheneOS is the 9 series.

    • masterofn001@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      18 days ago

      I have a Canadian carrier purchased phone. Brand new Pixel 9. 5$ a month. For 24 months.

      It has only ONCE booted to the Google version of Android.

      To flip the toggle to enable OEM unlock.

      I kept WiFi off and hadn’t inserted a SIM so it couldn’t update or do anything else that might have prevented flashing graphene.

      Not sure if that was necessary, but it worked.

      And now I live my life free of google software surveillance.