Samsung has announced that beginning November 3rd, its Family Hub smart fridges will feature a new advertising widget, as confirmed by Shane Higby, a representative from Samsung Electronics America. This update affects models priced over $2,000 and will introduce a widget that displays curated advertisements alongside other content such as news, calendar events, and weather forecasts.
The widget is designed to cycle through four screens every ten seconds, and users can manually swipe to navigate through them. It will be integrated into specific screens like the Weather and Color themes but will not appear on the Art or Album screens. The rollout of this update in the U.S. will start on October 27th, with advertisements expected to follow shortly thereafter.
Samsung has made it clear that the initial advertisements will promote their own products, such as water filters, although there are mentions of expanding the ads to third-party brands depending on future feedback. While users will have the option to disable ads entirely by adjusting settings, they may still choose to view specific features by dismissing ads individually.
This development raises questions about user privacy and the nature of advertising in home appliances. Previous statements from Samsung executives indicated no plans for incorporating ads into their devices, which now appears to have changed. Concerns are also present regarding how personal data might be utilized in the future and whether users will receive targeted advertisements based on household preferences.
The update to bring ads to Family Hub fridges is part of broader trends in smart home technology, as companies seek to monetize devices that interact with daily life. Samsung’s move, however, introduces a complex interplay between accessibility and user experience in connected home devices.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/report/806797/samsung-family-hub-smart-fridge-ads-opt-out