Samsung Health now requires Permissions for access to Private Phone data for absolutely no reason besides invasion of privacy!

[Rayn1]

WARNING!!!! Do NOT give consent to any app, including the new Samsung Health app, to snatch your phone number (or camera or microphone) when it is not necessary. This is a prime example of an attempt at invasion of privacy.  Over the last couple of years I have had to put up with a forced OS update from Samsung that has crippled various features of my Galaxy S8 that I PAID FOR and now they are using the Samsung Health app as a spy vector to identify you and your activities. 

The "Israeli" spyware firm NGO has agents inside various high tech companies like Samsung and are likely using the Samsung Health app as another vector to identify you in order to match your identity with your phone/GPS activities (which the Samsung Health app does keep track of).  More info at these links:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)

https://citizenlab.ca/2018/09/hide-and-seek-tracking-nso-groups-pegasus-spyware-to-operations-in-45-...

This is SERIOUS folks! People, including media company professionals/journalists have been murdered using the  information stolen by NGO's Pegasus spyware.

I heard one person in the forums here mention that you can "click th Continue button"  to grant the Samsung health app permission and then immediately disable the permission after activating the health app, but this is NOT a solution! As soon as you click the Continue button, they have your ID/phone number and the deed is finished.  You can Download the Google Health app instead but unfortunately Samsung only allows the Samsung Health app to access certain sensors including the Samsung phones built in Heart Monitor, but you can use other third party apps which use the phone's camera to take your pulse instead (if you trust the app's developers)

Granted spyware (including NGO's Pegasus) is generally a potential problem on all Android and iOS smartphones, the Galaxy S8 will be my last Samsung phone due to (1) Samsung's blatant lack of regard for its customers privacy and (2) for the fact that they also disabled various call features during the FORCED Android 9 update without our knowledge or consent: they promised to fix this issue in a future update, but now of course they tell us there will be no future OS updates for the S8 to correct this issue.  

[Pugs1957]

The moment you started suggesting Google is more trustworthy than Samsung I gave up on your post. Look at the permissions social media apps require but no mention of those.
The S8 FORCED Android 10 update on you?? Nonsense, the S8 did not get Android 10.

[Steven9761]

I never realised that tin-foil hats were "de-rigeur" these days?!! Did you also know that the Microsoft-funded covid vaccine puts a microchip inside you without your knowledge, and the illuminati can track you by GPS?? 😉

[lornemini]

At least like or not,not as disingenuous as the dislikes. He makes no mention of tin hats nor Google though for all I know all 3 post s maybe loaded n unfair,amusing or not.

[lornemini]

More ,important, are these appro aches to win through samsung browseres today free iPhone s presume entirely fraudulent. Sorry to ask but u guys would know......

[Pugs1957]

I don't understand either of your posts. Tin foil hat wearers is another name for conspiracy theorists ie people who make up things with no evidence. Re-read the post and you will see Google Health being mentioned. If you can clarify your comments, I'm sure you will get a meaningful response.

[Rayn1]

Pugs1957 I didn't say Google is more trustworthy. It is in fact Google/Android's negligence that led to this spyware crisis. I recommended the Google Health application simply as a last resort alternative to Samsung Health app because Google Health does not ask for nonsensical permissions to your private data which has nothing to do with a Health app's intended functions.  Again, even switching to Google Health means giving up even more features like access to the Heart Monitor sensor which Samsung has restricted only for its own apps.

As for the 10 update update for the S8, You are correct. I meant to say Google forced the Android 9  update on Galaxy S8 owners. The 10 update was supposed to undo the feature crippling that they did on the forced Android 9 update, but of course they later decided not to release 10 for the Galaxy S8; To paraphrase, Samsung says "sorry we lied, if you want your features back you have to pay another $1000 for a new phone"..

[Rayn1]

Steven, Instead of spamming this thread with a nonsensical, unfunny and useless response, you could have at least tried  to make yourself useful here by taking the time to do a couple of simple fact checks instead of adamantly INSISTING on being a useless P.O.S.

[Rayn1]

Pugs1957, As you can see lornemini's "responses" were only for spamming this thread, not for being helpful or providing anyone with assistance. Next time, I would recommend flagging his spam for what it is instead of bothering to respond to him.

[Pugs1957]

I wish I could do that but I don't have any special permissions, that's for the moderators.

I was doing some research into Samsung Health and from what I've read the contacts permissions are there to allow users to have challenges against others and that this can be turned off if not used but is critical to set up the app.

This explanation seems plausible and I would like to think in view of GDPR that our data should be safe. If Samsung were in breach of this they would be in big trouble. I don't know if this gives you any comfort.
Privacy is very important to me so I don't use social media etc so understand where you're coming from. Frankly, the less personal data I reveal, the better. That being said no platform gives me that security. My paranoia would be such that I would back up my contacts, remove them, sign up to Samsung Health, disable the permissions and then restore contacts, hating said that I'm sure they could access this data elsewhere, anyhow.
It's a tough one when everyone wants your data.