Will your Samsung Health data be deleted if you don't consent to its use for AI training?

Samsung has recently issued a notification to users of the Samsung Health app regarding the processing of their personal health data for AI training and modeling purposes. Many users are concerned about privacy, specifically whether refusing to consent to this data usage will result in the loss of their existing health records or the disabling of essential features like cloud synchronization.

Understanding the New Samsung Health Privacy Policy

Samsung recently began notifying users about using their health data for AI training and modeling. It appears that users who do not consent to the use of their personal health data for AI training will have their data deleted from Samsung's servers, and data syncing with Samsung Cloud will also be disabled. You can learn more about how to manage your privacy settings by visiting the official Samsung Health privacy settings page.

On Android devices running the latest version of Samsung Health (7.00.5.009), a pop-up began appearing this week when users opened the app. It asks users to consent to the use of their Samsung Health data. If they agree, their existing and future Samsung Health data stored on Samsung's servers will be used for AI training and modeling. This process includes the potential for "human review" of data when required. If users decline, their data will not be used for AI training.

However, if a user taps "Agree" and later tries to disable the AI training-related toggle in the Samsung Health app's Settings menu, a pop-up appears explaining that withdrawing consent will result in the deletion of their Samsung Health data from Samsung's servers.

Additionally, users will no longer be able to sync their Samsung Health data with Samsung Cloud. This is causing confusion among users, as it is unclear whether only data collected after consent will be deleted or whether the entirety of the user's historical health data stored on the company's servers will be purged.

Is my health data safe without AI consent?

If you choose not to consent, your data will not be used for AI training. However, Samsung currently indicates that this choice may lead to the deletion of your data from their cloud servers and the loss of sync capabilities.

What does "human review" mean for my data?

Samsung has stated that as part of the AI training and modeling process, some data may be subject to human review to ensure accuracy and improve the performance of their AI models.

Can I keep using Samsung Health without cloud sync?

Yes, you can likely continue to use the app locally on your device, but you will lose the ability to back up your health data to the cloud or sync it across multiple devices if you withdraw consent.

How can I verify if my data is being deleted?

The app should provide a notification or warning within the Settings menu if your action is going to result in data deletion. Always read the specific prompts provided by the app for your region.

We have reached out to Samsung for clarification on this matter. If Samsung does not allow users to sync Samsung Health data between their devices through Samsung Cloud unless they consent to the use of that data for AI training, it could erode users' trust in the company’s commitment to protecting personal data. Few types of information are more personal than health-tracking data.

We will update this article with Samsung's official response as soon as we receive clarification from the company. 🔎 In the meantime, users are encouraged to carefully review the terms presented in the app's pop-up notifications before making a decision regarding their data privacy.