Samsung is pushing 'promotions and curated advertisements' to its Family Hub smart refrigerators in the U.S., despite previously saying it had no plans to do so. Converting owned appliances into post‑purchase ad inventory extends platform monetization into the home and blurs the line between product and ongoing service.
— It signals 'enshittification' moving from apps to physical infrastructure, pressuring regulators to address post‑sale software changes, ad disclosures, and users’ rights to disable ads on products they own.
msmash
2025.10.14
87% relevant
DirecTV partnering with Glance to put AI‑generated likenesses of users, family, and pets into a TV screensaver with embedded shopping links extends the trend of household devices (e.g., Samsung Family Hub fridges) becoming ad surfaces inside the home.
EditorDavid
2025.10.12
82% relevant
Amazon Echo Show units are now showing more home‑screen ads (including Alexa+ upsells and third‑party products), users cannot disable them, and Amazon frames ads as part of the 'experience'—a textbook instance of appliances becoming ongoing ad inventory.
msmash
2025.09.18
100% relevant
Samsung’s U.S. software update that adds ads to Family Hub fridges as a 'pilot program.'