Samsung Health forces users to choose between AI training consent and losing their data

Samsung will kill your health data if you don't consent to AI training

Disabling this toggle means you can't sync health data to your Samsung account and that this data will be deleted. The Samsung Health app has received some major additions so far this year. Unfortunately, it looks like the company is holding your health data hostage if you don't agree to a controversial move. Some Samsung Health users (h/t: How-To Geek) are now seeing a notice and toggle titled "Consent to the Use of Health Data for AI Training and Modelling." Yes, Samsung is using your health data to train AI. But that's not the worst part. Disabling this toggle results in a message warning users that they won't be able to sync health data to their Samsung account and that this data will be deleted unless required by law. Check out the outlet's screenshots below. If confirmed, this would be a deeply concerning move by the Galaxy maker. Health data like this is extremely sensitive, and there's no word if this data is being anonymized in the first place. But even if Samsung is taking major steps to anonymize and safeguard this data, it still seems like a consumer-hostile move. Making a basic feature like health data synchronization contingent on training Samsung's AI feels very icky. We can somewhat understand the AI training/processing requirement if you're using generative AI features in the first place. However, this might be particularly frustrating for Samsung Health users who don't use AI features and just want a no-frills health suite that works across devices. In any event, we've contacted Samsung to confirm this toggle and its associated behavior. We've also asked the company how it's handling this data and for its views on effectively holding users' health data hostage. We'll update the article as soon as Samsung gets back to us.

Samsung is holding your health data hostage to train its AI

Samsung is forcing users to consent to AI training in the Samsung Health app or face losing access to their health data. The controversial new toggle, now appearing in the app, requires users to allow their health information to be used for AI modeling or risk having it deleted. The notice, titled "Consent to the Use of Health Data for AI Training and Modeling," appears upon opening the app. Disabling it prevents users from syncing health data to their Samsung accounts, and the data is removed unless required by law. How-To Geek reported the first sightings of the toggle, which has since spread to more users. This move raises serious privacy concerns, especially since the data in question may include highly sensitive information, such as medical records, medications, and menstrual cycle data. The broader AI industry is increasingly reliant on personal data, but requiring users to give up privacy or lose core functionality is a troubling trend. Samsung's decision may signal a shift in how health data is treated in the AI era. "The health data you have allowed us to collect and process will be used for AI training and modeling, including human review, to improve Samsung Health, including algorithms to analyze health conditions and our AI features," reads the Samsung Health page With no clear opt-out path, users are left with a stark choice: give up their privacy for AI training or lose access to the data they've tracked. If this becomes standard practice, expect more scrutiny and pushback from privacy advocates and general users who don't wish to contribute to the seemingly endless hunger of AI companies wanting to feed their expansive models, which are then sold right back to the same consumers that are being harvested. The main problem with this feature is: what do Samsung Health users who don't use any generative AI features do, but just want access to the standard Samsung Health? By not opting into data tracking, those users have now had their access revoked.

Samsung Health may soon ask users to share health data for AI training

The collected data is expected to power new AI-driven health features arriving with the Galaxy Watch 9 and future Galaxy devices. Samsung seems to be relying on AI for its health ecosystem but the move may need users to make big privacy decisions. As per multiple reports, the company has started rolling out a new consent prompt within the Samsung Health app which asks users whether they want to allow the health information to be used for AI training and model development. The new notice which is titled as Consent to Use Medical Data for AI Training and Modeling and reportedly explains that some health information may be processed to improve Samsung's AI powered health features. The company also notes that some data can be reviewed by humans during the development process. What data will Samsung collect? As per the reports, the consent will need a wide range of sensitive health information stored in Samsung Health. It includes activity data, medical records, medication history and menstrual cycle information. The company says the information will be used to improve AI models that power personalised health reports, wellness recommendations and other smart health features. Also read: Meta discontinues Muse Image AI feature after backlash, says it missed the mark The company has also claimed that the data will be combined in a way that reduces the possibility of identifying the individual users, although it has not provided detailed information about how the anonymisation process works or whether the information could still be linked to a Samsung account. What if you say never? The users can choose whether to participate via a new privacy setting inside Samsung Health. However, reports suggest declining the consent may come with notable limitations. Those who opt can lose Samsung Health cloud synchronisation via their Samsung Account, preventing health records from syncing across Galaxy devices. Samsung also reportedly warns that previously synced cloud data may be removed if consent is not granted, unless local regulations require the company to retain it.