Samsung Global Privacy Policy
Effective: [2016.08.18]
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and our affiliates [ (“Samsung,” “we,” “us,” “our”) know how important privacy is to our customers, and we strive to be clear about how we collect, use, disclose, transfer and store your information. This Privacy Policy provides an overview of our information practices. The Privacy Policy applies to Samsung devices, websites or online applications that refer to or link to the Privacy Policy (collectively, our “Services”).
While this Privacy Policy applies to all our Services, we also have provided certain specific privacy supplements that contain additional information about our practices in connection with particular Services. These supplements apply to your use of the Services they cover. Additional consent will be obtained for certain data processing activities.
Please note that the Privacy Policy applies to your usage of Samsung devices (which are among the Services covered by this Privacy Policy, along with our websites and online applications). It also applies regardless of whether you use a computer, mobile phone, tablet, TV, or other device to access our Services. It is important that you read the Privacy Policy carefully because anytime you use our Services, you consent to the practices we describe in the Privacy Policy and the supplements. If you do not agree to the practices described in the Privacy Policy, you should not use our Services.
It also is important that you check back often for updates to the Privacy Policy. If we update the Privacy Policy we will let you know about changes we consider to be material by placing a note on relevant Services. By accessing or using our Services after we have placed such a notice, you consent to the new practice(s) identified in the update. The most current version of the Privacy Policy will always be available here "https://account.samsung.com/membership/pp". You can check the “effective date” posted at the top to see when the Privacy Policy was last updated.
What information do we collect about you?
Information you provide directly
Some Services enable you to give us information directly. For example:
•A number of our Services enable users to create accounts or profiles. In connection with these Services, we may ask you to provide certain information about yourself to set up the account or profile. For example, you can submit certain information about yourself, such as your name and email address, when you create a Samsung Account.
•If you order a product or paid service from us, we may ask for your name, contact information, shipping and billing address(es), and credit card information in order to process your order.
•Some of our Services enable you to communicate with other people. Those communications will be transmitted through and stored on our systems.
Information about your use of the Services
In addition to the information you provide, we may collect information about your use of our Services through software on your device and other means. For example, we may collect:
• Device information—such as your hardware model, IMEI number and other unique device identifiers, MAC address, IP address, operating system version, and settings of the device you use to access the Services.
• Log information—such as the time and duration of your use of the Service, search query terms you enter through the Services, and any information stored in cookies that we have set on your device.
• Location information—such as your device’s GPS signal or information about nearby WiFi access points and cell towers that may be transmitted to us when you use certain Services.
• Voice information—such as recordings of your voice that we make (and may store on our servers) when you use voice commands to control a Service. (Note that we work with a third-party service provider that provides speech-to-text conversion services on our behalf. This provider may receive and store certain voice commands.)
• Other informationabout your use of the Services, such as the apps you use, the websites you visit, and how you interact with content offered through a Service.
Information from third-party sources
We may receive information about you from publicly and commercially available sources (as permitted by law), which we may combine with other information we receive from or about you. We also may receive information about you from third-party social networking services when you choose to connect with those services.
Other Information We Collect
We also may collect other information about you, your device, or your use of the services in ways that we describe to you at the point of collection or otherwise with your consent.
You can choose not to provide us with certain types of information (e.g., information we request during Samsung Account registration), but doing so may affect your ability to use some Services.
How do we use your information?
We may use information we collect for the following purposes:
• to register you or your device for a Service;
• to provide a Service or feature you request;
• to provide customized content and provide personalized services based on your past activities on our Services;
• for advertising, such as providing customized advertisements, sponsored content and sending you promotional communications;
• for assessment and analysis of our market, customers, products, and services (including asking you for your opinions on our products and services and carrying out customer surveys);
• to understand the way people use our Services so that we can improve them and develop new products and services;
• to provide maintenance services for your device;
• to conduct free prize draws, prize competitions or promotions, as permitted by law; and
• otherwise with your consent.
We may combine information we collect from you and use it for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy. We may request your additional consent with respect to such combination.
To whom do we disclose your information?
We will not disclose your information to third parties for their own independent marketing or business purposes without your consent. However, we may disclose your information to the following entities:
• Affiliates. Your information may be shared among Samsung affiliates for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
• Business Partners. We also may share your information with trusted business partners, including wireless carriers. These entities may use your information to provide you with services you request, make predictions about your interests and may provide you with promotional materials, advertisements and other materials.
• Service providers. We also may disclose your information to companies that provide services for or on behalf of us, such as companies that help us with billing or that send emails on our behalf. These entities are limited in their ability to use your information for purposes other than providing services for us.
• Other Parties When Required by Law or as Necessary to Protect Our Services.There may be instances when we disclose your information to other parties:
• to comply with the law or respond to compulsory legal process (such as a search warrant or other court order);
• to verify or enforce compliance with the policies governing our Services; and
• to protect the rights, property, or safety of Samsung, or any of our respective affiliates, business partners, or customers.
• Other Parties in Connection With Corporate Transactions. We may disclose your information to a third party as part of a merger or transfer, or in the event of a bankruptcy.
• Other Parties With Your Consent or At Your Direction. In addition to the disclosures described in this Privacy Policy, we may share information about you with third parties when you consent to or request such sharing.
Your Choices
We offer a variety of choices about how we use your information. You can make choices about whether to receive promotional communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the communication. In addition, you can also make choices by changing your settings for specific Services or when we give you a just-in-time notice, or by visiting relevant webpages.
What do we do to keep your information secure?
We have put in place reasonable physical and technical measures to safeguard the information we collect in connection with the Services. However, please note that although we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no website, Internet transmission, computer system or wireless connection is completely secure.
Your California Privacy Rights
California residents are entitled once a year, free of charge, to request and obtain certain information regarding our disclosure, if any, of personally identifiable information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year (e.g., requests made in 2013 will receive information about 2012 sharing activities). We comply with this law by giving users the ability to tell us not to share personally identifiable information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, send an email to opt-out-shine-the-light-law@sisa.samsung.com. We may need additional information to process your request.
Third-Party Links and Products on Our Services
Our Services may link to third-party websites and services that are outside our control. We are not responsible for the security or privacy of any information collected by websites or other services. You should exercise caution, and review the privacy statements applicable to the third-party websites and services you use.
We also may make available to you certain products or services (e.g., apps available through Samsung Apps) developed by third parties. Samsung is not responsible for these third-party products or services.
Third Parties that Provide Content, Advertising or Functionality on Our Services
Some of the content, advertising, and functionality on our Services may be provided by third parties that are not affiliated with us. For example:
• We enable you to watch video content provided by content providers;
• Third parties develop apps that we make available through the Samsung App Store;
• Certain third parties may serve advertising or keep track of which advertisements users see, how often they see those advertisements, and what users do in response to them; and
• We enable you to share certain materials on the Services with others through social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and LinkedIn.
These third-parties may collect or receive certain information about your use of the Services, including through the use of
cookies, beacons, and similar technologies, and this information may be collected over time and combined with information collected across different websites and online services. Some of these companies participate in industry-developed programs designed to provide consumers choices about whether to receive targeted advertising. Please visit the websites operated by the Network Advertising Initiative
"http://networkadvertising.org" and Digital Advertising Alliance "http://www.aboutads.info/" to learn more.
If you connect with a social networking service, we may receive and store authentication information from that service to enable you to log in, as well as other information that you allow us to receive when you connect with these services.
Also, please note that if you choose to connect with a social networking service on a device used by people in addition to you, those other users may be able to see information stored or displayed in connection with your account on the social networking service(s) with which you connect.
Children
We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of thirteen (13) without parental consent, unless permitted by law. If we learn that a child under the age of thirteen (13) has provided us with personal information, we will delete it in accordance with applicable law.
Cookies, Beacons and Similar Technologies
We, as well as certain third parties that provide content, advertising, or other functionality on our Services, may use cookies, beacons, and other technologies in certain areas of our Services.
Cookies
Cookies are small files that store information on your computer, TV, mobile phone or other device. They enable the entity that put the cookie on your device to recognize you across different websites, services, devices, and/or browsing sessions. Cookies serve many useful purposes. For example:
• Cookies can remember your sign-in credentials so you don’t have to enter those credentials each time you log on to a service.
• Cookies help us and third parties understand which parts of our Services are the most popular because they help us to see which pages and features visitors are accessing and how much time they are spending on the pages. By studying this kind of information, we are better able to adapt the Services and provide you with a better experience.
• Cookies help us and third parties understand which ads you have seen so that you don’t receive the same ad each time you access a Service.
• Cookies help us and third parties provide you with relevant content and advertising by collecting information about your use of our Services and other websites and apps.
When you use a web browser to access the Services, you can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is sent. Each browser is different, so check the “Help” menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences. The operating system of your device may contain additional controls for cookies.
Please note, however, that some Services may be designed to work using cookies and that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use those Services, or certain parts of them.
Other Local Storage
We, along with certain third parties, may use other kinds of local storage technologies, such as Local Shared Objects (also referred to as “Flash cookies”) and HTML5 local storage, in connection with our Services. These technologies are similar to the cookies discussed above in that they are stored on your device and can be used to store certain information about your activities and preferences. However, these technologies may make use of different parts of your device from standard cookies, and so you might not be able to control them using standard browser tools and settings. For information about disabling or deleting information contained in Flash cookies, please click here. "http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html"
Beacons
We, along with certain third parties, also may use technologies called beacons (or “pixels”) that communicate information from your device to a server. Beacons can be embedded in online content, videos, and emails, and can allow a server to read certain types of information from your device, know when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message, determine the time and date on which you viewed the beacon, and the IP address of your device. We and certain third parties use beacons for a variety of purposes, including to analyze the use of our Services and (in conjunction with cookies) to provide content and ads that are more relevant to you.
By accessing and using our Services, you consent to the storage of cookies, other local storage technologies, beacons and other information on your devices. You also consent to the access of such cookies, local storage technologies, beacons and information by us and by the third parties mentioned above.
Do Not Track Signals and Similar Mechanisms
Some web browsers may transmit “do-not-track” signals to the websites with which the user communicates, although web browsers incorporate and activate this functionality in different ways, and it is not always clear whether users intend for these signals to be transmitted. There currently is disagreement, including among participants in the leading Internet standards-setting organization, concerning what, if anything, websites should do when they receive such signals. Samsung currently does not take action in response to these signals, but, if and when a standard is established and accepted, we may reassess how to respond to these signals.
Further information
If you have any specific questions, please contact us at:
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
129 Samsung-Ro, Maetan-3dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Email: through the “Contact Us” section of "http://help.content.samsung.com".
Samsung Global Privacy Policy—Smart TV Supplement
Samsung’s Smart TV service offers a set of features that provide enhanced video content, customized TV experiences, movies, connections to social networking services, and the ability to control and interact with your Smart TV with voice commands. We collect, use, share, and store information through your Smart TV in the ways described in the Privacy Policy. This Supplement provides additional details about the privacy practices of some Smart TV features.
Interactive and Customized Content
The Smart TV is designed to enable you to easily find and access video programming and other content. For example, you may access information about live television programs distributed to you by your cable or satellite operator and on-demand video content offerings distributed by third-party content providers through searchable guides displayed on your Smart TV.
In the case of live television programs, we determine what content is available to you based in part on your postcode. In addition, the Smart TV helps you find and experience other Smart TV content more relevant to you by highlighting programming and content that is likely to interest you or providing additional services that will enhance your viewing experience. We base these recommendations and additional services on:
• Information about content that you have watched, purchased, downloaded, or streamed through Samsung applications on your Smart TV or other devices;
• Information about applications you have accessed through the Smart TV;
• Information about your clicks on the “Like,” “Dislike,” “Watch Now,” and other buttons on your Smart TV;
• The query terms you enter into Smart TV search features, including when you search for particular video content;
• Other Smart TV usage and device information, including, but not limited to, IP address, information stored in cookies and similar technologies, information that identifies your hardware or software configuration, browser information, and the page(s) you request.
Please visit the “settings” menu of your Smart TV for choices that may be available to you if you do not wish to continue to receive personalized recommendations or certain enhanced features on your Smart TV. If you disable such personalized recommendations or additional features, then the information and content displayed on your Smart TV may not be as relevant to you. But please bear in mind that Samsung may still collect information about your usage of the Smart TV for other purposes as described in the main body of this Privacy Policy.
Interest-Based Advertisement
By enabling the Interest-Based Advertisement feature on your Smart TV, you can choose to make content and advertising served to your Smart TV or across various Samsung and third-party platforms or devices, including on the web, mobile devices, and tablets more relevant to you.
To provide the Interest-Based Advertisement feature, we collect video snippets of the program that you watch and use this information in order to return content or advertising that may be more relevant to your tastes based on your “viewing history”. Your Smart TV “viewing history” may be supplemented with other types of information as described in the main body of this Privacy Policy, such information will include data about the usage of your Smart TV as well as technical information about your devices, such as model specifications and the IP address. When an ad is served to you, we may also log the fact that your device received that ad, as well as the webpage or other place where you viewed it.
We may also seek to collect information using cookies, beacons and similar technologies. Please see the Samsung Privacy Policy for more information about how these work and how you can control their use.
You may disable the Interest-Based Advertisement feature at any time by visiting the “settings” menu on your Smart TV. However, if you disable the Interest-Based Advertisement feature, it will not affect whether you receive other types of ads and marketing on your Smart TV or other devices. The only difference will be that such ads will not be based on your Smart TV “viewing history”.
Information Collected By Other Companies
Third-party advertisers may use web beacons in their ads in order to collect information about users who view their ads, including through cookies, beacons and similar technologies. Samsung does not control the data collection and use practices of these companies. Some of these companies participate in industry-developed programs designed to provide consumers choices about whether to receive targeted advertising. Please visit the websites operated by the Network Advertising Initiative "http://networkadvertising.org" and Digital Advertising Alliance "http://www.aboutads.info/" to learn more.
PSID
Your viewing history and Smart TV usage information for the purposes of providing interest based marketing will be linked to a randomized, non-persistent and resettable device identifier called the Personalized Service ID or “PSID”.
You may reset your PSID at any time by visiting the settings menu on your Smart TV, and once reset your viewing history and Smart TV usage information with respect to interest based marketing will be cleared and de-linked. However, if you reset your PSID, the quality of customized and interest based advertisements may not be fine-tuned.
Voice Recognition
You can control your Smart TV, and use many of its features, with voice commands.
If you enable Voice Recognition, you can interact with your Smart TV using your voice. To provide you the Voice Recognition feature, some interactive voice commands may be transmitted (along with information about your device, including device identifiers) to a third-party service provider (currently, Nuance Communications, Inc.) that converts your interactive voice commands to text and to the extent necessary to provide the Voice Recognition features to you. In addition, Samsung may collect and your device may capture voice commands and associated texts so that we can provide you with Voice Recognition features and evaluate and improve the features. Samsung will collect your interactive voice commands only when you make a specific search request to the Smart TV by clicking the activation button either on the remote control or on your screen and speaking into the microphone on the remote control.
If you do not enable Voice Recognition, you will not be able to use interactive voice recognition features, although you may be able to control your TV using certain predefined voice commands.
You may disable Voice Recognition data collection at any time by visiting the “settings” menu. However, this may prevent you from using some of the Voice Recognition features
Third Parties
Please note that when you watch a video or access applications or content provided by a third-party, that provider may collect or receive information about your Smart TV (e.g., its IP address and device identifiers), the requested transaction (e.g., your request to buy or rent the video), and your use of the application or service. Samsung is not responsible for these providers’ privacy or security practices. You should exercise caution and review the privacy statements applicable to the third-party websites and services you use.
Country-Specific Features
Please note that one or more of the features described in this Smart TV Supplement may not be available to you depending on where you live.
Samsung Global Privacy Policy - Mobile Device Supplement
Samsung mobile devices, wearables and other related technologies and services (collectively, our “
Mobile Devices”) offer a wide range of features including those allowing users to monitor and improve their fitness and well-being, improve their user experience, make mobile payments and control their Mobile Devices with voice commands. When you use our Mobile Devices we collect, use, share and store your information in the ways described in the Samsung Privacy Policy. This Supplement provides additional details about how we use that information to provide our Mobile Device features.
Standard Information about your Mobile Device
When you activate your Mobile Device or use its internet connected features, information is collected. This includes information about your Mobile Device, such as your IP address, OS version, regional and language settings, and IMEIs and other unique device identifiers. It also includes information about how, when and for how long you use your Mobile Device.
As described in the Samsung Privacy Policy, we may share standard information about your Mobile Device with business partners such as your wireless carriers, or with service providers that provide services on our behalf.
Third Parties
Please note that when you use a feature provided by a third-party, including your wireless carrier, that provider may collect or receive information about your Mobile Device (e.g., its IP address and device identifiers), the requested transaction (e.g., your request to buy or rent the content), and your use of the application or service. Samsung is not responsible for these providers’ privacy or security practices. You should exercise caution and review the privacy statements applicable to the third-party websites and services you use.
Specific Features
Please note that one or more of the features described in this Supplement may not be available to you depending on your model version, your service provider or where you live.
S Health
The S Health application, connected applications and associated accessories (collectively “S Health) is an all-in-one companion designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle. With S Health, you can track your everyday activities; get coaching to reach your daily fitness goals and milestones; and measure and manage factors such as your heart rate, SpO levels, and stress level.
The purpose of processing data for S Health is to provide the service or feature that you request, including data back-up and sync services for Samsung Account users, to provide data analysis and statistics to enhance your wellness and to improve S Health itself and its offerings. Data can be collected either through sensors on your Mobile Device or when you actually enter your own data into the applicable Mobile Device or related application or accessory. Further information on the way we collect, use, share and store your information in the ways described in the S Health Privacy Notice.
Enhanced Features
Enhanced Features is a bundled set of services designed to simplify and improve the ways in which you can share and connect with your friends. With the currently available Enhanced Features for example, you can share your profile and view images from your friends using Profile Sharing; easily share files with your friends with Simple Sharing; and communicate with your friends with emoticons, images and handwritten messages using OnCircle.
To provide Enhanced Features, we will need to collect your phone number, information from your contacts list and access to messages.
You have the choice to disable Enhanced Features in its entirety, or in the alternative, you can pick and choose which of the services you wish to use, by visiting your Profile in your Contacts. In addition, based on how you choose to use Enhanced Features, you can choose what categories of data you will share, as well as which friends to share with.
Samsung Pay
Samsung Pay is an easy and safe way to make debit and credit card purchases using your compatible Mobile Device.
To use Samsung Pay and initiate the card registration process, identification and verification data will be submitted to your bank from your Mobile Device. This includes Samsung Account information and Samsung Pay usage data, device information, location information (i.e., where you are when you register your card) if location settings are enabled, and card information and billing address, which is sent to your card issuer, passing through our servers. This information is encrypted by your Mobile Device and sent to your bank over Samsung servers. We never access any card or bank details.
Once your Mobile Device has been enrolled, all transaction data is transmitted securely between your Mobile Device and your issuer and bank. Recent transaction history is available on your Mobile Device and is known only to you, your bank and card issuer. We do not collect any information on the transactions you make or the device or account used to make transactions. We may, however, aggregate and anonymize information collected regarding your attempts to make purchases using Samsung Pay to understand the way people use Samsung Pay so that we can improve it by making it more convenient and useful for our customers.
Further information on the way we collect, use, share and store your information in the ways described in the Samsung Pay Privacy Notice.
Voice Services
You can control your Mobile Device, and use many of its features, with voice commands.
Depending on your model and region you can command your Mobile Device to activate certain features such as playing songs from playlist or perform web searches using S-Voice. You can also receive language translation support through S-Translator, dictate memos through Voice Memo or activate features while driving by speaking to your Mobile Device after enabling Car Mode.
To provide the Voice Services, some voice commands may be transmitted (along with information about your device and its usage, including device identifiers) to a third-party service provider that converts your voice commands to text. In addition, Samsung may collect and your device may capture voice commands and associated texts so that we can provide you with Voice Services and evaluate and improve the features.
Samsung advertising ID
In order to make content and advertising served to your mobile device more relevant to you, we will collect information about your usage of your mobile device and services.
Information about your mobile device usage that is collected for the purposes of providing customised marketing will be linked to a randomised, non-persistent, and resettable device identifier called the Samsung advertising ID.
You may reset your Samsung advertising ID at any time by visiting the Settings menu on your mobile device, and your previous usage information with respect to customized marketing will be de-linked from what is collected under your new Samsung advertising ID.
However, if you reset your Samsung advertising ID, the quality of customized marketing may not be best aligned to your personal interests.
You may also opt out from receiving customized marketing at any time by visiting the Settings menu under the applicable Samsung service application on your mobile device.
However, even if you opt out from receiving customized marketing, it will not affect whether you receive other types of ads and marketing on your mobile devices.
The only difference will be that such ads will not be based on usage information of your mobile device.
Please also bear in mind that Samsung may still collect information about your usage of your mobile device for other purposes as described in the main body of this Privacy Policy.