Author Topic: Smart TVs spy on users  (Read 2467 times)

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Offline Maik

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Smart TVs spy on users
« on: Saturday, 29 January, 2022 @ 20:55:08 »
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What your smart TV knows about you – and how to stop it harvesting data

Watching TV feels like a benign pastime, but as all TVs become “smart” – connected to the internet via your router – they are gaining the ability to watch you too. As soon as you switch them on, smart TVs made by the likes of LG, Samsung and Sony are gathering data from the TV itself, as well as from the operating system and apps. Then there are the devices you plug into your TV, such as Google’s Chromecast, Apple TV and Amazon’s Fire Stick.

A TV is no longer just a device for showing you content – it has become a two-way mirror allowing you to be observed in real time by a network of advertisers and data brokers, says Rowenna Fielding, director of data protection consultancy Miss IG Geek. “The purpose of this is to gather as much information as possible about your behaviour, interests, preferences and demographics so it can be monetised, mainly through targeted advertising.”

Smart TV spying is difficult to avoid. A study by researchers at Northeastern University and Imperial College London found data from TVs and smart devices was sent to Google’s ad business and to Netflix, even if people didn’t have Netflix.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/29/what-your-smart-tv-knows-about-you-and-how-to-stop-it-harvesting-data