Rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has one of the most highly anticipated new albums of 2013. Magna Carta Holy Grail is being released on July 9 and Jay-Z's new album is already available to Samsung customers who download the album's special smartphone app. However, it also has been leaked online, so some may have the new album for free already. The album reportedly is already technically a platinum success, but the new album has some accusing the rapper and Samsung of spamming customers and causing privacy issues.
According to Time magazine, Samsung bought a million downloads of Magna Carta Holy Grail at $5 each that they gave away to customers via their specially constructed smartphone app. There is one problem. Users are asked to give up a substantial amount of personal information and access to their smartphones in order to download the app. Of course, with all the news of the NSA and government spying on people via cell phone companies, this has people worried.
Time reports that in addition to giving up your name, age, and current location users also reportedly had to give the app permission to use their phone's status and identity, storage, system tools, location and the right to post on the user's Facebook or Twitter accounts. Samsung's data mining has some wondering what Samsung and the rapper are up to. The more information users want on Jay-Z's new album, the more privacy it seems they have to give up.Time reports that if you want the lyrics to a song on the new album then the app will post on your Twitter on your behalf. "I just unlocked a new lyric 'Crown' in the JAY Z Magna Carta app. See them first. https://smsng.us/MCHG2 #MagnaCarta," is an example of one such Twitter post.
Users also grew frustrated by leaks of the album on the internet, essentially making it public to everyone. However, even with the technical glitches, the album seems to be well on its way to being one of the most successful of 2013. Have you heard the new album? If so, what did you think?
