Samsung Health users asked to allow use of their health data for AI training or it will be deleted

Update: Samsung has published an in-app notice providing clarity regarding the use of health data for AI training, while a media report claims cloud sync isn't disabled even after withdrawing consent to use health data for AI training and modeling. You can head this way for more details.

Original story: Some Samsung Health users are seeing a notice when opening the app asking them to consent to the use of their health data for AI training and modeling. If users don't provide consent, they will not only be unable to sync health data with their Samsung account, but also lose it, as it will be deleted.

If users consent, Samsung will collect health and wellness data, medication data, health records, and cycle tracking data. Samsung says the health data it will collect and process "will be used for AI training and modelling, including human review, to improve Samsung Health, including algorithms to analyse health conditions and our AI features."

Samsung Health users can withdraw their consent at any time by navigating to the Samsung Health settings > Privacy menu and disabling the toggle next to the "Consent to the use of health data for AI training and modeling" option.

Samsung detailing the use of Health data for AI training and modelling

However, once you withdraw consent, you'll see a message pop up on your screen, warning that you won't be able to sync your health data with your Samsung account and that it will be deleted unless Samsung is required by law to retain it.

Samsung Health data consent toggle • Pop up warning deletion of Samsung Health data

Samsung will probably anonymize the collected data and won't link it to individuals, as that would be an entirely different privacy issue, but the Korean brand blatantly forcing users to provide their health data for AI training may not be appreciated by many Samsung Health users.

Source 1, Source 2