Rather astonishing level of 'data collection' by Smart TVs
Discussion
Most people probably realise that the apps on Smart TVs are like apps on your phone, reporting back a lot of data.
However, when you agree to the privacy statements of most Smart TV manufacturers, it turns out that they actually do a lot more than that. They will actually take snapshots of whatever source you happen to be watching and send them back to a central server for fingerprinting .. basically allowing the manufacturer to determine exactly what you were watching on the set (which TV show/ Film/ Video game) on anything up to a minute by minute basis.
https://youtu.be/2TPV9yQvcIQ
This data is then attached to your profile (containing all the other info that they have managed to gather on you via apps or maybe personal details you gave while registering the set on first use) and then sold on to third parties to be used 'however'.
I'm sure that whenever the TPTB force Digital ID, it's gonna be a required part of doing the setup of future SmartTVs just to make it really easy to track your personal use of the set. Wouldn't want you watching too much politically incorrect stuff.
However, when you agree to the privacy statements of most Smart TV manufacturers, it turns out that they actually do a lot more than that. They will actually take snapshots of whatever source you happen to be watching and send them back to a central server for fingerprinting .. basically allowing the manufacturer to determine exactly what you were watching on the set (which TV show/ Film/ Video game) on anything up to a minute by minute basis.
https://youtu.be/2TPV9yQvcIQ
This data is then attached to your profile (containing all the other info that they have managed to gather on you via apps or maybe personal details you gave while registering the set on first use) and then sold on to third parties to be used 'however'.
I'm sure that whenever the TPTB force Digital ID, it's gonna be a required part of doing the setup of future SmartTVs just to make it really easy to track your personal use of the set. Wouldn't want you watching too much politically incorrect stuff.
I have a pihole running at home and noticed that my Samsung TV is (was) calling home a lot. So i blocked all the URLs and also saw that the adverts on the app screen are also gone. No negative impact to TV
b
ds have no right to show me adverts on my own TV home screen, and also collect data.
b
ds have no right to show me adverts on my own TV home screen, and also collect data.Bum_Face said:
I have a pihole running at home and noticed that my Samsung TV is (was) calling home a lot. So i blocked all the URLs and also saw that the adverts on the app screen are also gone. No negative impact to TV
bds have no right to show me adverts on my own TV home screen, and also collect data.
Definitely going to look into this. How comprehensive/reliable are the block lists?b
ds have no right to show me adverts on my own TV home screen, and also collect data.As things stand, even if you hook up something like an old VCR your viewing data is being reported back, packaged and sold on.
the lists are fantastic, then you leave logging on to see what else is going through and then choose to block those also. Amazon Alexas are a terrible offender for this also, and they got blocked.
The default lists have over 200,000 entries in and block 99% of everything i wanted. My own list has 42 entries in it, so the default list is pretty extensive.
Makes browsing websites so much faster as well.
For a long time it even blocked ads on youtube until youtube worked out how to prevent it
The default lists have over 200,000 entries in and block 99% of everything i wanted. My own list has 42 entries in it, so the default list is pretty extensive.
Makes browsing websites so much faster as well.
For a long time it even blocked ads on youtube until youtube worked out how to prevent it
Bum_Face said:
the lists are fantastic, then you leave logging on to see what else is going through and then choose to block those also. Amazon Alexas are a terrible offender for this also, and they got blocked.
The default lists have over 200,000 entries in and block 99% of everything i wanted. My own list has 42 entries in it, so the default list is pretty extensive.
Makes browsing websites so much faster as well.
For a long time it even blocked ads on youtube until youtube worked out how to prevent it
Could you enter those 42 entries in a router if you don't run Pihole?The default lists have over 200,000 entries in and block 99% of everything i wanted. My own list has 42 entries in it, so the default list is pretty extensive.
Makes browsing websites so much faster as well.
For a long time it even blocked ads on youtube until youtube worked out how to prevent it
the-photographer said:
Could you enter those 42 entries in a router if you don't run Pihole?
There are several ways but PiHole is probably one of the easiest to use.FWIW - I never use the built-in 'Smart' stuff (far too much network chatter) and have gone down the AppleTV route instead.
M
Most stuff can be switched off in the Samsung settings. Other brands similar.,
1. On your TV remote, go to Settings, then go to Support (or sometimes General) Terms & Privacy or Privacy Choices.
2. In the Privacy menu:
Find Viewing Information Service , Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) or similar. Disable it. This stops the TV from automatically recognising/collecting what you re watching.
Look for Interest-Based Advertising, Personalised Ads, or Enable interactive marketing/advertising services . Turn that off.
For voice and camera features: find Voice Recognition Services, Gesture Control / Facial Recognition, and disable those if you re not using them. (Samsung states you can disable voice recognition data collection. )
1. On your TV remote, go to Settings, then go to Support (or sometimes General) Terms & Privacy or Privacy Choices.
2. In the Privacy menu:
Find Viewing Information Service , Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) or similar. Disable it. This stops the TV from automatically recognising/collecting what you re watching.
Look for Interest-Based Advertising, Personalised Ads, or Enable interactive marketing/advertising services . Turn that off.
For voice and camera features: find Voice Recognition Services, Gesture Control / Facial Recognition, and disable those if you re not using them. (Samsung states you can disable voice recognition data collection. )
RotorRambler said:
For voice and camera features: find Voice Recognition Services, Gesture Control / Facial Recognition, and disable those if you re not using them. (Samsung states you can disable voice recognition data collection. )
I recall a colleague (who had tape over his laptop's camera) in Germany telling me years ago there was a massive backlash there against Samsung when it dawned on people that their TV was listening to everything they said. He said there were Court cases going on about it.the-photographer said:
Bum_Face said:
the lists are fantastic, then you leave logging on to see what else is going through and then choose to block those also. Amazon Alexas are a terrible offender for this also, and they got blocked.
The default lists have over 200,000 entries in and block 99% of everything i wanted. My own list has 42 entries in it, so the default list is pretty extensive.
Makes browsing websites so much faster as well.
For a long time it even blocked ads on youtube until youtube worked out how to prevent it
Could you enter those 42 entries in a router if you don't run Pihole?The default lists have over 200,000 entries in and block 99% of everything i wanted. My own list has 42 entries in it, so the default list is pretty extensive.
Makes browsing websites so much faster as well.
For a long time it even blocked ads on youtube until youtube worked out how to prevent it
WH16 said:
Piginapoke said:
I just use an Apple TV and bypass the Samsung UI and all the Ads.
Yeah, this sounds like the right approach. Disconnect the TV from the internet - problem solved!One thing that has been discovered is that when you don't connect a "smart" appliance to a network is that they'll go looking for open networks to join and send data through... So that's not necessarily a solution.
captain_cynic said:
Apple are just as bad as Google or Samsung with your privacy but like to pretend they aren't. It's a case of "he hits me but tells me he loves me".
This is wrong. People have tested the privacy of mobile devices.At the top are Privacy focused OS s like Graphene which is a fork of Android.
Then Apple.
Then Google.
Then firms like Samsung.
Google have introduced a fair number of privacy controls on Android now. Admittedly you need to spend a couple of hours, going through all the settings, but they are there if you care.
Samsung has been bad for a while. I bought a QLED TV 8 years ago that had adverts in the menus after a few months of ownership. Bloody awful experience.
The LG OLED that replaced it is better but not perfect.
I bought an Apple TV for Hue Sync a little while ago, but then read about these TVs sending screenshots of your content off and made sure to disconnect the TV from the internet. These companies are aholes.
I know Apple still tracks you, but the experience across the ecosystem is really smooth and there are no ads in your face, and as yet, no evidence they are watching what you're watching, so for now it's the best I'm going to get.
I keep looking at setting up a PiHole, I should really just get on and do it
The LG OLED that replaced it is better but not perfect.
I bought an Apple TV for Hue Sync a little while ago, but then read about these TVs sending screenshots of your content off and made sure to disconnect the TV from the internet. These companies are a
holes.I know Apple still tracks you, but the experience across the ecosystem is really smooth and there are no ads in your face, and as yet, no evidence they are watching what you're watching, so for now it's the best I'm going to get.
I keep looking at setting up a PiHole, I should really just get on and do it
camel_landy said:
captain_cynic said:
Apple are just as bad as Google or Samsung with your privacy...
Nah. Google has a very different business model, which relies heavily on advertising. Apple have had their challenges but Google hoovers up far more high level user data.M
Apple are every bit as bad as Google but less honest about it. At least t you know what you're in for with Google.
captain_cynic said:
This is what I mean about "he hits me but says he loves me". You'll defend when its done by Apple.
Apple are every bit as bad as Google but less honest about it. At least t you know what you're in for with Google.
"The most misleading assumptions are the ones you don't know you're making." - Douglas AdamsApple are every bit as bad as Google but less honest about it. At least t you know what you're in for with Google.
M
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