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All smart TVs—from LG, Samsung, TCL, and other brands—collect personal data. Here's how to use privacy settings to limit surveillance. (www.consumerreports.org)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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[–] 62 points 4 months ago (41 children)

Just don't connect them to the internet, then it doesn't matter.

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago (8 children)

    Hasnt there been claims of the smart tv's automatically connecting to open WiFi to update and or send data.

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  • [+] 1 point 4 months ago (6 children)
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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago (5 children)

    That's why I called it a claim, I never found evidence myself, it just wouldn't surprise me if it was true.

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  • [+] 0 points 4 months ago (4 children)
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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    There's claims about this, connecting automatically to open wifi is a "feature" of Android, any smart bullshit based on android can have the same behaviour.

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  • [+] [S] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (18 children)
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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago (17 children)

    If those people are unaware, then make them aware. Telling them to disable telemtry instead of taking them offline completely is simply bad advice.

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  • [+] [S] 11 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (15 children)
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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago* (13 children)

    That is why I posted, so people are aware...

    You're making them aware of the wrong things, as I just finished saying.

    People have smart TV's to use the internet

    They can still use the internet without connecting their TV to it. You just plug another device into it.

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  • [+] [S] 4 points 4 months ago* (12 children)
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  • [+] -7 points 4 months ago (11 children)

    No they don't.

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  • [+] [S] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (10 children)
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  • [–] -5 points 4 months ago (9 children)

    Are my comments just invisible to you? Plug in another device and use it to load up Netflix.

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  • [+] [S] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (8 children)
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  • [–] -3 points 4 months ago (7 children)

    I don't understand what any of that has to do with anything? This has nothing to do with "the way I think". If they don't have one, they can get one, just like they can change their privacy settings?

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (6 children)
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  • [–] -2 points 4 months ago* (5 children)

    Not all people just plug in a device for things like Netflix

    I know they don't. Not all people adjust their privacy settings to limit surveillance either. That's the entire point. That's the problem.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    The reality is that most people can’t be bothered or do not have the resources to set up another device to stream content and just use their TV as a projection device. OP is sharing this for those people who still want to use the smart features on their TV but at the same time get back some of their privacy. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. OP is saying not everyone is like you who would choose to disconnect your TV completely and stream from your laptop instead.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    There was some sort of scandal a few years back that some smart TVs (Samsung?) were using not just open networks (let's be honest, there usually aren't any), but other smart TVs if the same manufacturer to be able to send their telemetry. I don't know what game of that, or if that was ever made illegal (probably not).

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (10 children)

    What features does a smart TV provide when not connected to the internet? (serious question, I've never had a smart TV)

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    I'll tell you what my 2 "smart" tvs do as they are not connected to the internet, they act as a slow to turn on display of my desktop. 27" monitor press power button, less than 10 seconds looking at desktop, 40" samsung smart tv 15-20+ seconds to see the desktop without a stupid overlay, 65" samsung 4k smart tv 30-45 seconds till desktop is fully visible.

    TL:DR NONE! Use as a monitor

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    They tend to be cheaper or have more features. The income from data harvesting subsidizes the price.

    Plus, in a lot of places you can't get dumb TVs without them being commercial displays, which have different priorities. Businesses don't really care about having 60hz, HDR, OLED, or low latency. Sometimes they don't even care about having 4K resolution.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    None? The idea is not to get more features, it's to take it offline so it can't send data about you back home. Plug in another smart device into the TV and use that for streaming and such.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Dumb tvs are still sold in some places. If it's impossible to get a dumb TV and have a pc, at that point it makes more sense to get a simple monitor and use the pc as the smart device so you actually have full control. The android boxes you connect to tvs are not the epitome of privacy either.

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