I’m Terrified of My New Smart TV

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Most of us laugh when we hear people say they are "terrified" of their new TV...until you realize just how scary they actually are. :eek: Thanks to Philip Dias for the link.

The amount of data this thing collects is staggering. It logs where, when, how, and for how long you use the TV. It sets tracking cookies and beacons designed to detect “when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message.” It records “the apps you use, the websites you visit, and how you interact with content.” It ignores “do-not-track” requests as a considered matter of policy.
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They're not called smart TVs or smart phones for nothing.

Big Brother is indeed watching.
 
Time for some modded TV firmware. Custom roms for phones remove crap like carrier iq all the time.
 
Never buying a smart TV, but if I did I'll disable those "features".

Besides, I'll plug in an Android device. :)
 
Vote with your dollars, though I imagine everything will do this at some point. Im joining the Low Techs from Johnny Mnemonic lol
 
bucketlist said:
Besides, I'll plug in an Android device. :)
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That doesn't really change the amount of spying done. In fact, it might make it worse if you use a lot of other Google services since the activity on that device will then end up being correlated with the rest of the information already being gathered from other services, hardware, and embedded internet advertisements.
 
Isn't it feasible to just feed everything to/from the tv through a firewall and block all of the traffic leaving the TV except that which you want?
 
Yawn, so what if some computer somewhere knows how much porn I watch. What are they going to do with that data? Market porn to me? It's not like I don't know where to find it.
 
Dumb TV with Linux HTPC. :)

I've been avoiding smart tvs more because I won't use the features but this doesn't surprise me at all.

Though I suppose if I ended up with a smart tv not plugging it into the network would accomplish the same thing.
 
cortexodus said:
Isn't it feasible to just feed everything to/from the tv through a firewall and block all of the traffic leaving the TV except that which you want?
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Yes, don't plug it in to the internet. But on the other hand you have a cable box that does exactly the same thing. So the point is moot.
 
I never quite understood the point of smart TV's. The tech is cool, but the rate at which technology is evolving is outpacing TV's (which people tend to keep around for a much longer period of time). Set top boxes, at least for the time being, seems to be a better solution... albeit maybe not as elegant as being built directly into the TV.

At any rate... as someone else said, your cable company does the same thing so this shouldn't really surprise anyone.
 
Earlier this year I picked up a 60" samsung F8500 plasma tv, and while I didn't buy it for the smart tv features, or the 3D, but instead for picture quaulity and rich black level, but the better panels tend to also have the extra features.

I assumed i would never use the smart features, but I was wrong and I regularly use the Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and the media player, but that's it. The first thing I did was to stow away the camera and turn it and the microphone off.

As many have pointed out, does it track my habits? I'm sure it does, but likely by no more than my PS3 or cellphone does when I used for those same apps on them.
 
Just dont connect it to the internet if your scared about the bad people seeing what your doing. Sheesh.:rolleyes:
 
Kaitian said:
Is there a 4K 240hz TV with those non-smart functions?
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seiki has been pretty good about not adding smart tv functions. i would expect them to have one eventually, if not already
 
dr.stevil said:
I never quite understood the point of smart TV's. The tech is cool, but the rate at which technology is evolving is outpacing TV's (which people tend to keep around for a much longer period of time).
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My major brand "smart tv" I bought several years ago has a built in TV guide, but it stopped working a couple years ago. Resetting the TV to factory defaults fixes the problem for a couple weeks, but then the problem comes back again. Has all the latest firmware/updates installed.

It has a Netflix client, but Netflix usually had problems with buffering or hanging up, especially on Friday/Saturday nights. Had no problems when watching Netflix on my computer or HTPC.

So, my smart TV is now a dumb TV, and we watch everything through the HTPC.
 
This is straight out of 1984 (the book).

Unbelievable George Orwell for it soooo right so far, just a bit of on timing.
 
cortexodus said:
Isn't it feasible to just feed everything to/from the tv through a firewall and block all of the traffic leaving the TV except that which you want?
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If that data goes out different ports, goes to different and specific destinations, or is otherwise able to be differentiated from the data you want going out, then sure.
 
I love my samsung TV but the "smart" features just piss me off no end.
Apart from the privacy concerns the smart tv shit is like going to use a toilet and finding it full of someone elses crap. It is just unpleasant to use.
 
"TERRIFIED" ?!? (sheesh)

Just "UNPLUG" it from the ROUTER/SWITCH or WI-FI. It won't be "talking" to anyone after that.
 
amddragonpc said:
"TERRIFIED" ?!? (sheesh)

Just "UNPLUG" it from the ROUTER/SWITCH or WI-FI. It won't be "talking" to anyone after that.
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The article's author was pointing out that consumers shouldn't have to choose between getting all the features or capabilities of a smart TV and no privacy or doing something to disable those features to get privacy. He wants to have his cake and eat it too, or whatever.
 
I wonder if someone can find out where these files that are riddled with your private data are going to and just continue to upload bogus stuff to them.
 
weebling1 said:
Makes me wonder what the IQ of the Smart TV is compared to the user. :rolleyes:
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Exactlly. If people would take a few hours out of their life and do research and learn about what they are buying it wont be a problem. That way they can properly use the device and know how it works and to properly configure.
 
amddragonpc said:
"TERRIFIED" ?!? (sheesh)

Just "UNPLUG" it from the ROUTER/SWITCH or WI-FI. It won't be "talking" to anyone after that.
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I agree. But then I am being forced to pay for features I wont use. All I need in a tv is a couple of HDMI ports and a QAM turner for my Antenna
 
DeChache said:
I agree. But then I am being forced to pay for features I wont use. All I need in a tv is a couple of HDMI ports and a QAM turner for my Antenna
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No, you are not, afterall it's your choice to buy a tv with smart features, if you don't want them and don't want to just shut them off then don't buy the set.
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
No, you are not, afterall it's your choice to buy a tv with smart features, if you don't want them and don't want to just shut them off then don't buy the set.
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Have you tried to buy a premium panel tv these days? Most have smart features..

Sure I can get a cheap tv with out smart features but why replace what I have that works.
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
No, you are not, afterall it's your choice to buy a tv with smart features, if you don't want them and don't want to just shut them off then don't buy the set.
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As said, find a TV now with out the Smart Features but has the same panel quality and other features you want....
 
So many people that have not bought a tv in years. "If you dont want a smart tv, then buy one without it" there problem solved im so fucking smart comments are funny.

Usually ALL the higher end tvs come with smart features and cannot be avoided. Nobody is talking about your bullshit sekis or poloroid tvs. I didnt want any smart feautures when i bought my new tv because i have a damn xbox,ps4,blu ray that all do the same things. My Panasonic ST60 plasma (best rated tv in cnet history) has the best panel but smart crap comes with it.
 
MrGuvernment said:
As said, find a TV now with out the Smart Features but has the same panel quality and other features you want....
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Or buy whatever looks best and is cheapest, and don't configure the wifi on it.
I'm pretty sure they can't phone home with no phone.

That's the way mine is set up. Not because of paranoia, but because I hooked it up, it sucked abysmally at everything it did "smart", and didn't want anyone to mistakenly use it, or for it to use up any bandwidth doing things badly.
 
I simply dont use it but it does still rob the tv of processing power. You cant even delete or disable them fully.
 
nutzo said:
Just don't connect your "Smart TV" to the internet, then it will function as a dumb TV.
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Your right but how much does the smart functions that I don't want raise the cost of the TV. How much did licensing the applications to run on your TV cost. How much of that am I paying for.
 
They are going to have to have a MS tax rebate style thing for those who choose to disable the feature, have it done store side or something just disables the features all together and gives you a dumb TV for X off the price tag.
 
Joke's on them. I don't even own a TV. Why would I when I don't have cable and can do everything and watch anything on my desktop?
 
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