Budget Samsung phones shipped with unremovable spyware, say researchers

A report highlights renewed controversy over Samsung’s alleged pre-installation of the secretive AppCloud application—linked to ironSource—on certain Galaxy A and M devices in MENA, with claims it collects sensitive data and is tightly integrated, making removal difficult without rooting. While SMEX labels it bloatware rather than spyware, users report the app can be disabled yet may reappear after system updates. The piece places this within a broader pattern of pre-installed software risks on budget phones and past privacy concerns, urging user vigilance and offering general guidance on bloatware removal.