Samsung just broke its word to consumers. The company's rolling out ads to Family Hub refrigerators across the US through a software update, directly contradicting its April promise to The Verge that it had "no plans" for fridge advertising. The move marks Samsung's boldest push yet in monetizing its "screens everywhere" strategy.
Samsung just turned your kitchen into its latest advertising real estate. The company's quietly pushing ads to Family Hub refrigerators across the US through an over-the-air software update that owners are receiving right now. This marks a complete reversal from Samsung's April stance when executives told The Verge the company had "no plans" to bring advertising to its smart fridges.
The backlash came swift and fierce. Reddit users discovered the change first, sparking waves of criticism from consumers who'd paid premium prices for these appliances. Samsung's trying to spin this as value-added service, but affected customers aren't buying it.
"Samsung is committed to innovation and enhancing every day value for our home appliance customers," the company told Android Authority in a statement that somehow manages to be both corporate and tone-deaf. "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."
[embedded image: Samsung Family Hub refrigerator with screen display]
But here's what Samsung's really doing - it's testing whether consumers will tolerate ads on appliances they already paid thousands for. The advertising appears on Cover Screens when the fridge display goes idle, though Samsung says ads won't show during Art Mode or when displaying photo albums. Users can dismiss individual ads, but there's no opt-out for the entire advertising system.
This isn't Samsung's first rodeo with controversial advertising. The company started injecting ads into smart TV interfaces back in 2016, pioneering what became an industry-wide practice. Now it's applying that same playbook to kitchen appliances under its "screens everywhere" initiative.
