The owner of a Samsung fridge was left doing a double-take when it turned out their new kitchen appliance comes with something extra — advertising.
Facebook user Kenneth Jackson posted a picture of his new fridge glowing with a bright yellow Apple TV ad last month, writing: "Apparently my Samsung fridge has ads now. How do I disable this? Might just return it and get a new one."
Apparently my samsung fridge has ads now... How would I disable this? Might just return it and get a normal one
Posted by Kenneth M. Jackson on Thursday, November 13, 2025
Samsung sparked controversy when it confirmed earlier in 2025 that the owners of its $1,800 smart fridges would be subjected to unwanted commercials in their own kitchen, via the "family hub" screen on the front, previously only used for playing music, checking the weather, or seeing what's inside without opening the door.
The tech giant said in a September statement: "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."
It added that the software update would cause the screen to start showing ads while in idle. It said: "Advertisements can be dismissed on the cover screens where ads are shown, meaning that specific ads will not appear again during the campaign period."
Smart home tech is often more energy efficient and, while more expensive, can help consumers save money in the long run. For example, induction stoves, home solar panels, and battery storage systems have all been transformative for people who can afford them.
But serving advertising straight into somebody's home via the fridge is another matter entirely — proven by the cold reception Samsung's new feature got on Jackson's post.
One person wrote, "On the list of things that need to be smart or at least smarter than they were, I'd say fridges were pretty low on the list."
Another said, "Ads on a fridge? Being poor saved me again."
A third added, "Tell them you're going to charge them for the physical ad space in your home that they charge Apple for on their fridge – oh wait, sorry your fridge."
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