SAMSUNG PRIVACY POLICY FOR THE U.S.
Last Updated: October 1, 2021
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and our affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Samsung”), know how important privacy is to our customers. This Privacy Policy describes the personal information we may obtain online across all of our Internet-connected Samsung devices and services (from mobile phones and tablets to TVs, home appliances, online services, and more) (collectively, our “Services”), and how we may use and disclose that information. We also explain the choices available to you regarding our use of the information, the steps we take to safeguard the information, and how you how may contact us if you have any questions about our privacy practices.
In addition to this Privacy Policy, we provide additional information about our privacy practices related to particular Services where appropriate. You can review such information before enabling such Services.
Click on the links below to learn more:
Information We Obtain
Information you provide to us
When you purchase a Samsung product, create a Samsung Account, or register for or use a Service, you may provide us with personal information such as:
- • contact information, such as your name, email address, postal address, and phone number;
- • payment card information (including your name, card number, expiration date, and security code);
- • user coupon or gift card number;
- • date of birth;
- • gender;
- • information stored in or associated with your Samsung Account (including your Samsung Account profile, ID, username, and password);
- • username and password for participating third-party devices, apps, features, or services;
- • information you store on your device, such as photos, contacts, text logs, touch interactions, settings, and calendar information;
- • recordings of your voice when you use voice commands to control a Service or contact our Customer Service team; and
- • location data, including (1) the precise geolocation of your device if you consent to the collection of this data and (2) information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers that may be transmitted to us when you use certain Services.
We may obtain certain information about you from publicly or commercially-available sources and from third parties who perform services for us. We also may obtain other information about you, your devices, and your use of the Services, in ways we describe at the time we collect the information or otherwise with your consent.
Information we collect automatically
Our Services collect some data automatically when you use the Services. We may obtain information by automated means such as through browser cookies, pixels, web server logs, web beacons, and other technologies. Among other purposes, these technologies help us (1) remember your information so you will not have to re-enter it, (2) track and understand how you use and interact with the Services, (3) tailor the Services around your preferences, (4) manage and measure the usability of the Services, (5) understand the effectiveness of our communications, and (6) otherwise enhance the Services.
Information we may collect automatically includes information about
- • your device, including MAC address, IP address, log information, device model, hardware model, IMEI number, serial number, subscription information, device settings, connections to other devices, mobile network operator, web browser characteristics, app usage information, sales code, access code, current software version, MNC, subscription information, and randomized, non-persistent and resettable device identifiers, such as Personalized Service ID (or PSID), and advertising IDs, including Google Ad ID;
- • your use of the Services, including clickstream data, your interactions with the Services (such as the web pages you visit, search terms, and the apps, services and features you use, download, or purchase), the pages that lead or refer you to the Services, how you use the Services, and dates and times of use of the Services; and
- • your use of third-party websites, apps and features that are connected to certain Services.
Your browser may tell you how to be notified when you receive certain types of cookies or how to restrict or disable certain types of cookies. You can find out how to do this for your particular browser by clicking “help” on your browser’s menu or visiting https://www.allaboutcookies.org. For mobile devices, you can manage how your device and browser share certain device data by adjusting the privacy and security settings on your device. The Services are not designed to respond to “do not track” signals received from browsers. Please note that without cookies, you may not be able to use or benefit from all of the features of our Services.
Third-Party Web Analytics Services
Through certain Services, we may collect personal information about your online activities on websites and connected devices over time and across third-party websites, devices, apps, and other online features and services. We may use third-party analytics services on the Services, such as Google Analytics and Firebase Analytics. The information we obtain may be disclosed to or collected directly by these providers and other relevant third parties who use the information, for example, to evaluate use of the Services or help administer the Services. To learn more about Google Analytics, please visit https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/. To learn more about Firebase Analytics, please visit https://firebase.google.com/policies/analytics.
Online Tracking And Interest-Based Advertising
Through certain Services, both we and various third parties may collect information about your online activities to provide you with advertising about products and services tailored to your individual interests.
Samsung Ads
Our Samsung Ads service is designed to serve advertisements that are customized to users’ interests on Samsung and third-party platforms, devices, websites, and apps. Samsung Ads may deliver customized ads based on your demographic characteristics, preferences, choices, and interests by collecting certain information about your online activities as specified in this Privacy Policy. Please see the Samsung Ads Privacy Notice https://www.samsung.com/us/account/privacy-policy/samsungads for more information, including information on how to opt out of receiving customized ads from Samsung Ads.
Ad networks
Because Samsung participates in various advertising networks, you may also see our ads on other websites or mobile apps. Ad networks allow us to target our messaging to users considering demographic data, users’ inferred interests, and browsing context. These networks can track users’ online activities over time by collecting information through automated means, including through the use of browser cookies, web beacons, pixels, device identifiers, server logs, and other similar technologies. The networks use this information to show ads that may be tailored to individuals’ interests, to track users’ browsers or devices across multiple websites and apps, and to build a profile of users’ online browsing and app usage activities. The information our ad networks may collect includes data about users’ visits to websites and apps that participate in the relevant ad networks, such as the pages or ads viewed and the actions taken on the websites or apps. This data collection takes place both on certain Services and on third-party websites and apps that participate in the ad networks. This process also helps us track the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.
To learn how to opt out of ad network interest-based advertising in the U.S., please visit www.aboutads.info/choices and http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/.
How We Use the Information We Obtain
We may use the personal information we obtain to:
- • provide and enhance our Services, such as registering you or your device for a Service, identifying and authenticating you so you may use and interact with third-party services, and improving and customizing your experience within the Services;
- • provide ads, which may include targeted (or interest-based) ads delivered on your Samsung device or within certain Samsung-branded apps (where targeted or interest-based ads are available, if you turn off targeted or interest-based ads, you will receive generic ads);
- • communicate with you;
- • provide customer support;
- • operate, evaluate, and improve our business, including developing new products and services, managing our communications, analyzing our Services and customer base, conducting market research, aggregating and anonymizing data, performing data analytics, and undertaking accounting, auditing, and other internal functions;
- • protect against, identify, and prevent fraud and other criminal activity, claims and other liabilities; and
- • comply with and enforce applicable legal requirements, relevant industry standards, and our policies, including this Privacy Policy and the applicable Terms of Use for a Service.
We may combine information we obtain about you for the purposes described above. We also may use the information we obtain in other ways for which we provide specific notice at the time of collection or otherwise with your consent.
Information Sharing
We may share your personal information with our subsidiaries and affiliates and with service providers who perform services for us. We do not authorize our service providers to use or disclose the information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements. In addition, we may share your personal information with our business partners, such as wireless carriers, as well as third parties who operate apps and services that connect with certain Services.
We may share personal information we collect through the Services if you ask us to do so or otherwise with your consent. We also may disclose information about you in other circumstances, including:
- • to law enforcement authorities, government or public agencies or officials, regulators, and/or any other person or entity with appropriate legal authority or justification for receipt of such information, if required or permitted to do so by law or legal process;
- • when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss, or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual fraudulent or illegal activity; or
- • in the event we may or do sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets (including in the event of a merger, acquisition, joint venture, reorganization, divestiture, dissolution, or liquidation).
Links to Other Websites, Devices, Apps, And Features
The Services may provide the ability to connect to other websites, devices, apps, and other features, which may operate independently from us and may have their own privacy notices or policies. We strongly suggest you review them. To the extent any linked website, device, app, or other feature is not owned or controlled by us, we are not responsible for its content, use, or privacy practices.
Your Choices
We offer you certain choices in connection with the personal information we obtain about you.
To update your preferences, limit the communications you receive from us, or submit a request, please contact us as specified in the How To Contact Us section below.
The Services may offer choices related to the collection, deletion, and sharing of certain information and communications about products, services, and promotions that are unique to specific Services. You can access the relevant settings of each Service to learn about choices that may be available for that Service. If you decline to allow the Services to collect, store, or share certain information, you may not be able to enjoy full use of all of the features available through the Services.
Notice to California Residents
If you are a California consumer, for more information about your privacy rights, please see the section of this Privacy Policy called California Consumer Privacy Statement below.
How We Protect Personal Information
We maintain safeguards designed to protect personal information we obtain through the Services.
Children’s Personal Information
Unless otherwise specified, the Services are designed for a general audience and are not directed at children. In connection with the Services, we do not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without parental consent, we will either seek parental consent or promptly delete that information. If you believe that a child under age 13 may have provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us as specified in the How To Contact Us section of this Privacy Policy.
Updates To This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our personal information practices with respect to the Services. We will indicate at the top of the policy when it was most recently updated.
How To Contact Us
You can contact us to update your preferences, update or correct your information, submit a request, or ask us questions at:
Privacy Office
Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
85 Challenger Road
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
NAPrivacy@sea.samsung.com
CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PRIVACY STATEMENT – SUPPLEMENT
Last Updated: October 1, 2021
This California Consumer Privacy Statement supplements the Samsung Privacy Policy for the U.S. It applies solely to California consumers and addresses personal information we collect online and offline. This Statement does not apply to Samsung personnel or job applicants.
This California Consumer Privacy Statement uses certain terms that have the meaning given to them in the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 and its implementing regulations (the “CCPA”).
Notice to California Residents
1. Notice of Collection and Use of Personal Information
We may collect the following categories of personal information about you:
- • Identifiers: identifiers such as a real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier (such as a device identifier; cookies, beacons, pixel tags, mobile ad identifiers and similar technology; customer number, unique pseudonym, or user alias; telephone number and other forms of persistent or probabilistic identifiers), online identifier, internet protocol address, email address, account name, and other similar identifiers
- • Additional Data Subject to Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80: signature, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, and other financial information
- • Protected Classifications: characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law, such as age and sex
- • Commercial Information: commercial information, including records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, and other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies
- • Biometric Information
- • Online Activity: Internet and other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding your interaction with websites, applications, or advertisements
- • Geolocation Data
- • Sensory Information: audio, electronic, visual, and similar information
- • Inferences: inferences drawn from any of the information identified above to create a profile about you reflecting your preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.
We may use the categories of personal information listed above for certain business or commercial purposes, as described in this list:
- • performing services, including maintaining or servicing accounts, providing customer service, processing or fulfilling orders and transactions, verifying customer information, processing payments, providing advertising or marketing services, providing analytics services, or providing similar services;
- • auditing related to a current interaction with you and concurrent transactions, including, but not limited to, counting ad impressions to unique visitors, verifying positioning and quality of ad impressions, and auditing compliance;
- • short-term, transient use, including, but not limited to, the contextual customization of ads shown as part of the same interaction;
- • detecting security incidents, protecting against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and prosecuting those responsible for that activity;
- • debugging to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
- • undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration; and
- • undertaking activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of a service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by us, and to improve, upgrade, or enhance the service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by us.
2. Prior Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
We may have collected and used your personal information, as described in Section 1 above, during the 12-month period prior to the effective date of this California Consumer Privacy Statement. For the personal information collected during that timeframe, we describe below: (a) the categories of sources from which we may have obtained the personal information, (b) the categories of third parties with whom we may have shared the information, (c) the categories of personal information we may have sold, and (d) the categories of personal information we may have disclosed for a business purpose.
a. Sources of Personal Information
We may have obtained personal information about you from various sources, including:
- • from you or your devices, for example, through your use of the Services;
- • our affiliates and subsidiaries;
- • vendors who provide services on our behalf;
- • social media networks; and
- • online advertising companies.
b. Sharing of Personal Information
We may have shared your personal information with certain categories of vendors, including:
- • our affiliates and subsidiaries;
- • vendors who provide services on our behalf;
- • professional services organizations, such as auditors and law firms;
- • our joint marketing partners;
- • our business partners;
- • advertising networks;
- • internet service providers;
- • data analytics providers;
- • government entities;
- • operating systems and platforms;
- • social networks; and
- • consumer data resellers.
c. Sale of Personal Information
We may allow certain third parties (such as advertising partners) to collect your personal information. You have the right to opt out of this disclosure of your information, as detailed below.
During the 12-month period prior to the effective date of this California Consumer Privacy Statement, we may have sold the following categories of personal information:
- • Identifiers such as a unique personal identifier (such as a device identifier; cookies, beacons, pixel tags, mobile ad identifiers and similar technology; other forms of persistent or probabilistic identifiers), online identifier, and internet protocol address
- • Commercial information, including records of products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, and other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies
- • Internet and other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, information regarding your interaction with websites, applications, or advertisements
d. Disclosure of Personal Information for a Business Purpose
We may have disclosed to vendors the following categories of personal information for a business purpose:
- • Identifiers such as a real name, postal address, telephone number, unique personal identifier (such as a device identifier; cookies, beacons, pixel tags, mobile ad identifiers and similar technology; customer number; other forms of persistent or probabilistic identifiers), online identifier, internet protocol address, email address, account name, and other similar identifiers
- • Signature, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, and other financial information
- • Characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law, such as age and sex
- • Commercial information, including records of products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, and other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies
- • Internet and other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding your interaction with websites, applications, or advertisements
- • Geolocation Data
- • Audio, electronic, visual, and similar information
- • Inferences drawn from any of the information identified above to create a profile about you reflecting your preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.
3. California Consumer Privacy Rights
You have certain choices regarding our use and disclosure of your personal information, as described below.
Access: You may have the right to request, twice in a 12-month period, that we disclose to you the personal information we have collected, used, disclosed, and sold about you during the past 12 months.
Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete certain personal information we have collected from you.
Opt-Out of Sale: You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information.
Statistics: Click here to view metrics relating to consumer privacy rights requests we received last year.
Shine the Light Request: You also may have the right to request that we provide you with (1) a list of certain categories of personal information we have disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing purposes during the immediately preceding calendar year and (2) the identity of those third parties.
How to Submit a Request: To submit an access or deletion request, click here or call us at 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864). To submit a Shine the Light request, email us at NAPrivacy@sea.samsung.com. To opt-out of the sale of your personal information, click here or call us at 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864).
Verifying Requests: To help protect your privacy and maintain security, we will take steps to verify your identity before granting you access to your personal information or complying with your request. If you have a Samsung Account, we will verify your identity by requiring you to sign in to your account. If you do not have a Samsung Account, or an email address on file with us, then there is no reasonable method by which we can verify your identity to the level of certainty required by the CCPA. This is because, historically, Samsung has not linked device identifiers or advertising IDs to named actual persons. Accordingly, if you do not have a Samsung Account or an email address on file, and you request access to or deletion of your personal information, we will not be able to process your request at this time.
Additional Information: If you choose to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, you have the right to not receive discriminatory treatment by us. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we may charge a reasonable fee to comply with your request. This Statement is available in alternative formats upon request. Please go the accessibility page of Samsung’s website at www.samsung.com/us/accessibility to see a copy of this Statement in an alternative format.