this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2025
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Samsung is rolling out an update to its refrigerators with displays that will enable them to show advertisements.

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[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 151 points 2 weeks ago (19 children)

Why would your refrigerator have a screen?

Why would you buy such a refrigerator?

[–] PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world 79 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

I recall the hype was to keep track of groceries or some such gimmick. I feel it to be unnecessary tech. How convenient that it shows ads. In any case, do not buy a Samsung appliance. They are total shite and will break down on you. Fridges, washing machines, dishwashers. All garbage. The televisions are fine.

[–] Broadfern@lemmy.world 27 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Their TVs suck too. The remotes barely respond and they’re bogged down with ad-riddled garbage to the point I had to set up a parental lock just so I wasn’t force-fed trashy, outdated reality TV at 300 decibels when I power the damn thing on. Or worse, when the power goes out and it decides to blast at 3 AM. Unfortunately I didn’t make the choice to buy this thing.

Their phones are also locked down proprietary horse arse. I don’t understand the people who repeatedly pick the brand, but oh well.

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[–] Fyrnyx@kbin.melroy.org 13 points 2 weeks ago

To keep track of groceries? Just I don't know, LOOK inside the fridge. Oh the cabinets and drawers don't have screens, just slap a few of them on there to keep track of that shit too! Why stop at the fridge?

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

I'm not a huge fan of my Samsun monitor either actually. There's a lot of stuff in there that I don't want or use, and most of what is in there feels pretty half-assed. Will definitely be trying another brand when it comes to replace it.

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[–] AceBonobo@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not against my refrigerator having a screen that I can control

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

But why have a screen at all?

[–] ViatorOmnium@piefed.social 19 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Shopping list, digital post it notes, etc.

People have been sticking important things into fridge doors since there are fridges.

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[–] KingOfSleep@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would love a monitor on my fridge (it'd be better than most of the dusty old shit on mine right now. ) But I would want to have complete control of the hardware attached to that screen

I hope a DIY mod community springs up to help people take back the machines they own.

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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 12 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Why do gas pumps have screens?

[–] Renorc@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Everyone should know this. Share it.

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[–] parpol@programming.dev 62 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For anyone who knows how, please add it to the consumer rights wiki.

https://consumerrights.wiki/Category:Samsung

Fuck Samsung.

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[–] slickgoat@lemmy.world 60 points 2 weeks ago

Only if you buy one.

[–] SirMaple__@lemmy.ca 57 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The only smart feature a fridge needs is a beeper for when the door has been left open or water filter needs changing. It sure as heck doesn't need WiFi.

[–] USBHoarder@lemmy.zip 22 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

What it actually needs is a little motor to close itself. If it knows I left it open it should be capable to close itself instead of crying like a useless piece of junk.

[–] rbos@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

An expensive motor that breaks, or decides to close on you when you're looking inside, or...

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[–] VonReposti@feddit.dk 10 points 2 weeks ago

Mine is so "smart" that it doesn't properly detect that it's open with a cm or so gap. At least it beeped furiously when it detected that the freezer section had a dangerously high temperature half a day later.

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[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 47 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I used to work at a popular electrical retailer in the UK, and Samsung had come to our offices with some of their latest appliances, including a fridge freezer with a screen like this. They were trying to demonstrate the feature where you could look inside your fridge so you didn't need to open the door, amongst other things, but it was of course a horrible laggy mess. I told the rep that nobody is going to use this after the first time and it's just easier to open the door and look inside. You could tell he thought it was shit too but couldn't come out and say it, but his smirk said it all.

[–] rivvvver@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 2 weeks ago

knowing samsung they prolly force retailers to have at least one of these things on display if u wanna sell samsung products

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[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 44 points 2 weeks ago

In classic fashion they're doing it in a way where you can choose to not have them by not using particular display options, so that they can say with a straight face that they're not forcing ads on you. Then once this bullshit is normalized and into everyone's homes, making it non-optional on all screens is a much smaller leap in comparison.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 40 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Who could have possibly seen this coming...

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[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 33 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Get ready to buy good quality, inexpensive refrigerators, without tech connectivity. Automatically adding tech to everything, just because it is new and shiny, isn't always the right way to build your products. It sure fucked up the car industry.

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[–] AndyMFK@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And this is why I avoid Samsung products entirely. Vote with your wallet.

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I avoid “smart” products — especially those with screens — for this reason.

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[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Gross, my fridge got hit with ransomware again and now all the food inside is encrypted. Time to see if my canned backups are any good.

...Where did I put those backups?

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[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

No, I won't because I'm not stupid enough to buy an Internet connected ad machine refrigerator.

[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (8 children)

I wonder if it'll be like TVs, which are cheap as fuck for a really nice TV, but equipped with garbage like Alexa and Amazon fire.

Right now, you can buy a $200 "smart" TV, or a $1800 "dumb" TV. I wonder if fridges and other appliances will go in that direction.

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[–] Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago

On the plus side, considering the average lifespan of Samsung appliances, you probably won't have to put up with it for very long.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 28 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Im not buying anything with ads. If I have to buy a new flat screen tv, im making sure it can be used without the internet, and any ads can be removed through network ad blocking or other tricks.

Its never enough ads until every surface has an ad on it. Fuck the entire ad business. Making the world ugly.

[–] ratten@lemmings.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Advertising should be illegal.

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 11 points 2 weeks ago

It should be optional for free at least.

Forced ads should be illegal. It's quite literally wasting peoples lives and a lot resources.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 26 points 2 weeks ago

Who could have seen this coming!?

[–] tal@olio.cafe 25 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (13 children)

To enhance our service and offer additional content to our users, advertisements will be displayed on the Cover Screen for the Weather, Color, and Daily Board themes.

I really hope that Steam games don't head down this path over time. Internet-connected refrigerators I'm willing to avoid, but that's not the only vector for this sort of thing.

EDIT: And as has been pointed out on here before, some Internet-connected cars are starting to have updates to show ads on their UIs pushed out. Any time you've already spent the money and are kind of locked in and the manufacturer has Internet connectivity to the device and can update the thing subsequent to purchase, you're kind of in a bad position regarding leverage.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Valve, fortunately, has already codified a ban on advertisement in games sold and on the steam platform itself (The store page is curated by an algorithm fetching popular games or game genres desired by the player rather than advertisers) https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/advertising

Edit: There's an exception for cross promotions and in-world/in-universe assets (giving logos on a race car in a racing game as an example)

[–] tal@olio.cafe 10 points 2 weeks ago

Ah, thanks! Well, that's one lone ray of light.

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[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Well fine. No smart refrigerator then.

Btw, you could also just slap a tablet on any fridge.

[–] Siegfried@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I'm more than ready. I'm so ready that won't ever buy a refrigerator with an internet connection in my life

[–] ratten@lemmings.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

All the useful idiots wasting their money on this crap are getting exactly what they deserve.

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[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Samsung makes shit appliances that are particularly non-repairable anyway.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago

My understanding is Samsung, at least as an appliance company, had tanked on quality over the last decade or so. I had all Samsung appliances until every one started failing slowly.

Not sure how they hope to survive with shit products AND a poor user experience.

[–] javiwhite@feddit.uk 14 points 2 weeks ago

Enshittification, in my kitchen?!

You have to be pretty naive to not have seen this one coming from a mile off. But hey, at least people can see what's in their fridge without having to open the door, what a luxury.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, there's no way I'm buying an internet connected fridge with a giant screen.

[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 13 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

To be honest, I'd judge people who have fridges with a screen. Completely unnecessary. This problem is easily solved.

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[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Much better than my current Samsung fridge where that obnoxious Samsung rep has to come every week to plaster a new ad on the door. At least it won't leave glue all over the floor.

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[–] Imad@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Whoever bought a smart fridge deserves watching those ads

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I do not understand people. Why did you need a fridge with a display in the first place?

I'm finally sure my fridge predates the internet it came with the house and cost £50 I have zero interest in replacing it what does having a display give me?

Frankly if you're buying these fridges you're part of the problem, of course they're going to put advertisements on it, what else are they going to put on it. You all damn well know you don't use the display anyway.

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[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 10 points 2 weeks ago

Sammobile apparently has 1660 "partners", the fuck?

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