Samsung started rolling out an update to its refrigerators that brought ads to the display, whether you like it or not. The whole situation is rather surreal but not entirely unsurprising. There were some doubts that the changelog wasn’t real or that it belonged to a different product. Now, Samsung has confirmed to us that ads are indeed coming to its refrigerators.
We had reached out to Samsung for a statement, and this is what a Samsung spokesperson said:
Samsung is committed to innovation and enhancing every day value for our home appliance customers. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen that value, we are conducting a pilot program to offer promotions and curated advertisements on certain Samsung Family Hub refrigerator models in the U.S. market.
As a part of this pilot program, Family Hub refrigerators in the U.S. will receive an over-the-network (OTN) software update with Terms of Service (T&C) and Privacy Notice (PN). Advertising will appear on certain Family Hub refrigerator Cover Screens. The Cover Screen appears when a Family Hub screen is idle. Ad design format may change depending on Family Hub personalization options for the Cover Screen, and advertising will not appear when Cover Screen displays Art Mode or picture albums.
Advertisements can be dismissed on the Cover Screens where ads are shown, meaning that specific ads will not appear again during the campaign period.
As the statement notes, this is a pilot program for certain Samsung Family Hub refrigerator models sold in the US. As part of the program, these refrigerators will display “promotions and curated advertisements” on certain Cover Screens when the Family Hub screen (i.e., the door display) is idle.
The company notes that ads can be dismissed, and dismissed ads will not appear again. The ad design format will also change depending on the Cover Screen’s personalization options. Ads will not appear when the Cover Screen displays photos or art.
From the changelog, we know that ads will be displayed on the Cover Screen for the Weather, Color, and Daily Board themes, whereas the Cover Screen for the Art and Gallery themes will not display advertisements, in line with the company’s statement.
It’s still unclear which exact refrigerators are getting the ad infestation. It doesn’t seem like users can entirely turn off ads, which is a shame. Disconnecting the fridge from the internet might stop the ads, but you will also inevitably lose out on several smart features you paid for. If you have a Samsung refrigerator with a door display, let us know in the comments how your experience has been with them, and how you feel about ads coming to them.
