Yes, Your Smart TV is Spying On You (here's how to stop it)

The manufacturers should have a warning on the box for smart TVs that it has Automatic Content Recognition turned on and what it does. If they don't want you to know it shouldn't be installed or turned off by default. They could also have a warning on the protective packing with instructions on how to disable it when you go through the initial setup. They should also be required to pay you a monthly fee for information that they collect if you chose to have it turned on.
This is a Trojan Horse that the consumers aren't aware of and should be illegal unless notified at the time of purchase.

Yes, I knew about such things. Therefore my new TV is just a monitor! It is not connected in anyway to the Internet, just via HDMI-1 thru which every function works via streamers, DVD, etc. Switching is done again via another device.

I do not have a smart TV in my home and don't plan to as I do not have TV service at my rural home.Somehow I am able to live my life without TV and I have been here for 9 years now.

I suppose if I bought a TV,it would be a used one as long as it has a good picture.Presently,any TV I do watch is at my desktop computer on a couple of streaming channels I am interested in.

The precautions stated in this article could be applied to the smart speakers that are the rage nowadays.I imagine they can spy on you as well.Beware!!

How scary for these devices are sold in so called totalitarian regimes...

I have found no "camera" on my TV. Where would it be located?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I logged into your router and activated the secret homing beacons. But I can't quite make out the make and model of your TV. Help me, and I'll help you.

Thank you, Bob! I did not know about this. Am I surprised? Of course not. As Cold City above has mentioned, this is a hallmark of totalitarian regimes. Which is where we are headed unless we do something about it.

I'll start with a note for Dave:

Look at the front of your TV. If you see a small dark circle (usually about one-eighth inch in diameter, give or take), that may be your TVs camera. Do you have a laptop computer with a camera? If so, the camera on your TV will look very similar to the one on your laptop. Also, if you do have a camera on your TV, there will be settings for it somewhere in your TVs settings/configuration. My Samsung TV has a 'Settings' button on the remote control that opens the settings app on the TVs screen. I found it useful to go through my TVs settings, by changing a few of the defaults I was able to 'customize' my experience a bit. Also, the absence of any voice or gesture settings would indicate that there is no camera or microphone built into your TV. I hope this helps you Dave.

I had to get a new TV in 2020. I got an older Samsung model for a very attractive price ($200.00 give/take). I checked, and it does not have either a camera or a microphone built into it, or if it does, they are very well hidden :). I also have a Samsung phone, and a Samsung monitor for my desktop PC. The monitor supports audio, but I don't use it because I have a fairly nice if aged Altec-Lansing PC sound system that still works very well for me. I have an external camera for my desktop, but the monitor does not have either a camera or a microphone built in. I get both of those functionalities from my external camera system, and I prefer it that way because I can disconnect the camera from its USB port when I'm not using it.

As for my 'new' Samsung TV, I had to use my PC to go to Samsung's website to access my account information. I was able to control how much information they collect (from all my Samsung devices), delete as much as possible of what they have already collected, and request that they not sell my data. My TV does access the Internet to provide streaming services such as streaming apps and Samsung+ streaming channels. When I started streaming video using Roku devices (before I got this Samsung TV), I re-organized my home network. My ATT router supports a Guest Network service, so I enabled it and set it up to use WPA2 (the best security protocol the device supports) for secure connections, renamed it and gave it its own shared key/password. This should make it as secure as the primary LAN. I have all my streaming and Iot devices connected to this secondary LAN and my desktop, laptops, and other Internet connected communications devices connected to the primary LAN (PCs, laptops, tablets, etc.), effectively isolating these two classes of devices from each other. I check the router's logs monthly to see if any unknown devices have connected. So far, so good. I have not detected any unknown device connections.

As a foot note, I perform monthly, bi-annual, and annual security and maintenance routines on my devices and my LANs in the hope that I will discover any unwanted intrusion(s) or malware infections, etc. Again, so far, so good. Nothing detected - yet.

I hope this post helps anyone who reads it,

Ernie

All of these features should require opting in, not opting out.

We have a very inexpensive and basic ONN Roku smart TV with a dumb remote as it seamlessly gets us to Roku for our streaming needs.
I find no mention of microphone or camera in the specs so hopefully we are okay.
We go online via ethernet not wireless, and cannot think of any other smart things that would be in our home (except our teenagers).
We use a "throwaway" email address for everything on the TV.
We also use an older version of remotes that are dumbed down and not smart in any way.
And a VPN should take care of the accuracy of the zipcode bundling.
We are believers these days that we really are NOT that interesting as individuals, and don't care too much about our "viewing profile" being sold as it is inaccurate.
Unless anyone knows different ..........

"How scary for these devices are sold in so called totalitarian regimes..."
Right you are, Cold City.
In Orwell's 1984, every citizen had a device like that at home so The State could spy on them.

Senior Citizen here. Just recently my "Smart, Samsung TV" had some kind of a Blow Out when I left the house for a few minutes, leaving the set on. When I returned, my home was filled with a Strong Chemical Odor. Didn't figure out until later the TV was the Odor Problem. The upper half of the picture, when on, is darker than the lower half and the Odor returns when I turn it on so I just quit using it. I'm using my Older Sanyo TV now. What would cause that strong chemical odor? I've never had a TV smell like that when it was experiencing problems. Should I remove it from my home for Safety reasons?

Thank you BobRankin, waking us up to the evils of ACR.
I have the alexa/siri integration within the 2021 LG OLED smartieTV, as well as its remote (which is also a wirelles device and a MIC).
Unfortunately and at a minimum, a user should connect a smartieTV to the network periodically. Like most software driven devices, they require software updates.
I would have been happier just purchasing a OLED monitor but such a device no longer exists. Although I have found that the LG WebOS does better/quicker job with Netflix, as the LG remote makes it a single button access.

I have an older Samsung TV that is not "Smart" but do have a Roku streaming stick with voice remote, which I have never used. It is powered by a "smart" outlet strip that switches it off when the TV is turned off. Bad enough that the cell phone seems to be always listening, don't need the TV listening when it's off!

For those worried about the "state" spying on you through your TV, relax. The danger is not the state, it is all the businesses you interact with and those that they sell information to. Your data has been monetized for their advantage.

My LG TV recently announced some changes to their privacy policies which I was asked to either approve or read before approving. I usually look to get an idea about the details. But, really, going through these 'details' takes a lot of time and the possibility of multiple calls to a lawyer. I think they count on most people just clicking "OK".

And, I'm not so suspicious of government spying on me as I am of multi-million dollar corporations.

Marj, it sounds like your TV has a dual-power-supply backlight system and one of the supplies (for the upper half of the screen) has "smoked". The smell may be from overheating of components, releasing gases from varnishes, plasticizers and electrolytes. While likely not terminally toxic, the gases are not pleasant or healthy and the fact that they continue to be produced may suggest a potential fire hazard. You should probably get it repaired,if still in warranty, or replace it if not, depending on age and value. Out-of-warranty repair would likely run $200 to $300 or more.

Yes cal67 you do have to worry. Verizon announced several months that the government pays them to access your data. They don't need a warrant they just have to pay a fee and get all they want from any of the tech companies.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2013/09/23/attverizonsprint-are-paid-cash-by-nsa-for-your-private-communications/?sh=5882c04043cb