I’d like to start a discussion about TV privacy in 2023. I’ve never been interested in having a TV, but recently I was thinking of getting one. Looking into it, the privacy implications seem horrible. All the major brands seem to have cameras, microphones, and content recognition software. I can’t believe how dystopian it is.
I also notice that most of the articles about this are from a few years ago. Are things better now? Do they still collect an Orwellian amount of data?
As I understand it, there are a few mitigation options:
- Leave it disconnected from the internet and use a separate device for streaming. But it sounds like some brands have incessant nag screens, or disable features until connected to the internet. I was looking into the Samsung Frame TV, but I’m not even sure you can use the art mode without internet. Does anyone know?
- Pi-hole set up with a blocklist. It’s disheartening that such a technical solution would be necessary.
- Get a commercial “dumb” display. These are more expensive, and usually thicker.
- Go through the menu and disable privacy violating settings. Does this work? I’m doubtful.
edit: Just to be clear, I am NOT talking about the normal sort of ad tracking that happens when you use streaming services. Netflix knows what you’re watching regardless of what device you use. I’m talking about stuff like a hidden camera recording your facial reactions, microphones recording your private conversations, and screen recording of your viewing activities. This is sci-fi dystopia level creepy.
Ive used pihole and also just removed the network’s settings.
If you want to stream, i don’t know how useful any of these mitigations are. You’re giving them some data to subscribe and use. Even if you share accounts, who knows what the apps collect.
I’m aware of and OK with the idea that Netflix (or whatever) knows what I’m watching on their service when I’m logged in. I’m not OK with the TV itself collecting extra data, especially automated content recognition or my private conversations with their microphone. It’s nuts that that’s allowed.
This for me is the biggest privacy issue. The FBI having contracts which allow them to turn on and collect whatever data certain device can acquire, its fully bonkers. These contracts focus on massively sold devices. iPhones, Androids, along with Samsung TV’s have all been caught in the same mess. So I’d say keep searching for a TV until you find one which fits your threat model. They want you to give and buy a Samsung TV, so fuck em and keep on keepin on!
Honestly, a PC monitor and a separate device connected to it is probably much less bullshit.
Pihole is nice to have regardless of TVs.
Commercial displays are usually very overpriced, although if you can get a good deal that could be nice.
Not sure I’d “trust” any such menu.
I thought PC monitors would be higher priced than commercial displays, but I haven’t really looked into it. It sounds like I should get a pihole either way.
I’ve never bought a TV. I’ve used computer screens for the past 30 years because you can sit closer to them, they’re higher quality, and they do just one thing.
In the 90s, I had a HiFi VCR plugged into my monitor.
In answer to the original question: yes, you can, but you’re unlikely to. Today’s TVs are subsidized by invading your privacy and selling the data. Anyone not doing that couldn’t compete in the market.
It’s still just as bad. We leave ours disconnected from the internet, but a quick note here: I’ve heard of some tv’s auto-connecting to open WiFi networks if available (though ours does not and nobody near us has an open WiFi network). We just have a very generic Hisense tv from 2019 I think
just wait until “5g” network slicing becomes more of a thing, soon you’ll see all these manufacturers putting UE chipsets in them to bypass end user wifi completely… that’s really what the commercial IoT vision has been about all along, big data => dangerous (🎵 cool ‘indie’ music plays 🎵)
I’ve heard of some tv’s auto-connecting to open WiFi networks if available
I thought my tv did this. Can anyone confirn if this actually was caught?
You can use a shotgun to hard jailbreak it.
Don’t ever trust a “smart” TV until you’ve installed Linux on it. All of the ones I’ve bought so far (the cheapest available at Wal-Mart, usually) are willing to display things without ever having been allowed a network connection. If you manage to buy one that isn’t, return it and complain vigorously.
It didn’t cross my mind that I could run Linux on a tv. (I figured, however, that the pre-installed software is built on Linux.) Are you talking about something like LinuxTV.org
