Samsung Health Update Requires User Consent for AI Data Use or Risk Losing Health Data Access

Samsung has introduced a controversial update to its Samsung Health app, prompting criticism from users and privacy advocates. According to a report by c14, users must now consent to the use of their health data for AI training and modeling purposes. The app, used by Samsung smartphone and Galaxy Watch owners, tracks various health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, physical activity, and more. The new terms state that if users refuse to allow their data to be used for AI development, they will lose the ability to sync their health data with their Samsung account. Furthermore, previously synced data may be deleted from Samsung's servers unless legally required to be retained.

The scope of data covered by the consent is broad, including not only step counts and physical activity but also health and wellness data, medication history, medical records, and other personal information. Some of this data may undergo human review as part of the AI model improvement process. This update comes ahead of Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, where new products like the Galaxy Watch 9 and AI-powered health features are expected to be unveiled. Samsung appears to be expanding its smart health services through advanced user data analysis.

Meanwhile, legal and regulatory experts in Europe are examining whether this update complies with the EU's stringent GDPR privacy regulations. Under GDPR, consent for personal data use must be freely given, informed, and without coercion or fear of service loss, raising questions about the legitimacy of Samsung's new terms.