this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2025
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Samsung Embeds Israeli Surveillance App on Phones Across MENA (www.moroccoworldnews.com)
submitted 1 week ago by spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@lemmy.world
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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.

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[–] ftmpch@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Has anyone actually analysed this app to see what information it can actually access? The few articles I've found don't elaborate.

Like, does it just track what games you play and websites you visit? Or can it log your keyboard, steal all your banking passwords and read all your private conversations?

[–] philosloppy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"is this runoff full of poop or just pee???"

[–] ftmpch@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Well, of course I don't want either poop or pee in my phone, but it matters which one I have, because I need to know what cleaning products to use.

If it's poop, then maybe I need to change all my passwords and keep especially on guard for fraud attempts, but if it's only pee, then I just need to remove/disable the app and I can stop worrying about it.

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's a rage bait article that's why they leave out all of the information. It's working too.

Seems like a popular Kuwait based e-commerce app in the region:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alshaya.aura

That being said android apps are sandboxed and dont really have any capabilities unless launched. Still shouldn't be included by default but the impact here is definitely overexaggerated.

[–] missfrizzle@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 week ago

if anyone has one of these phones, please contact CitizenLab. they can reverse-engineer it.