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Other => Idle Chatter => Topic started by: gbpxl on January 05, 2015, 04:55:49 PM



Title: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 05, 2015, 04:55:49 PM
I read an article about a Samsung Smart TV that apparently records your conversations with its microphone.

I did notice that when I bought my tv (not a Samsung) I had to agree to some privacy statement- I didn't read it (who the fuck does?), but it wouldn't surprise me at all if I agreed to have Sony listen in on my conversations so as to better advertise to me. The TV comes with a camera but I have it turned so it faces the wall. If there is a microphone on my TV (which I am sure there is), I wouldn't be able to find it.

I just canceled my Netflix streaming service so I'll be disabling the Wi-Fi and I won't have to worry about any privacy concerns but I think people should be aware of these things if they are in fact true.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: mumboking on January 05, 2015, 04:58:04 PM
Just use a "dumb" TV. :shrug:


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: tactical_nuke on January 05, 2015, 05:19:13 PM
Remember, Big Brother is watching.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 05, 2015, 06:20:43 PM
Just use a "dumb" TV. :shrug:

It's a 4K TV- I believe all of them are "smart". I turned off my Wi-Fi, so it shouldn't be a problem for me now- if it was to begin with.

I still have a CRT but the f*cker weighs 230 lbs and I just really don't have the setup for it.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: SirPsycho on January 05, 2015, 08:12:24 PM
Remember, Big Brother is watching.

Everything spies on you anymore.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Izret101 on January 05, 2015, 11:58:55 PM
You mentioned having a facebook account. Any presence online means you have already waived all rights to privacy. Welcome to the glorious future.

I'd be more worried about your PC/phone/gaming systems spying than the TV.

Hell wasn't there some big stink about Apple not turning off geolocation even when users said it was off?

Can't you use a fingerprint/thumbprint in lieu of a password on stuff now even? Having prints stored on easily hacked technology is always a brilliant idea.

Chances are rather high that if someone is watching you through your phone or tv or tablet camera it isn't a corporation it is a hacker ;)


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 06, 2015, 12:02:24 AM
You mentioned having a facebook account. Any presence online means you have already waived all rights to privacy. Welcome to the glorious future.

I'd be more worried about your PC/phone/gaming systems spying than the TV.

Hell wasn't there some big stink about Apple not turning off geolocation even when users said it was off?

Can't you use a fingerprint/thumbprint in lieu of a password on stuff now even? Having prints stored on easily hacked technology is always a brilliant idea.

Chances are rather high that if someone is watching you through your phone or tv or tablet camera it isn't a corporation it is a hacker ;)

I couldn't care less about phone and game spying because I don't own a smart phone and the newest game system I own is a Game Boy Advance SP. I know that facebook scans my messages but I don't care that much to be honest. i send messages over facebook, knowing this, and don't say anything self-incriminating.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Shadow Kisuragi on January 06, 2015, 01:00:44 AM
My wife is getting her doctorate in Information Security, and considering my profession...
You can hide absolutely nothing if someone wants to know. Best bet is to keep a low profile, but even then your information is still readily available.

Enjoy life, keep to basic security protocols, and 90% of the time you'll be fine. Know that popular sites and companies WILL be compromised, or are already compromised, and keep an eye out for odd activity.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 06, 2015, 01:19:01 AM
My wife is getting her doctorate in Information Security, and considering my profession...
You can hide absolutely nothing if someone wants to know. Best bet is to keep a low profile, but even then your information is still readily available.

Enjoy life, keep to basic security protocols, and 90% of the time you'll be fine. Know that popular sites and companies WILL be compromised, or are already compromised, and keep an eye out for odd activity.

my problem is legitimate companies actively spying on you to learn about your buying habits- stuff that I am confident is violating the Constitution, and I can say that confidently, not even being close to an expert on the Consititution. I NEVER agreed to have Facebook scan my messages for keywords

what freaks me out is that I see advertisements for boxer dogs when no where in my profile do I say that I have one. I have a picture of him, but no caption, and there's a chance I might've mentioned his breed in a message to someone. I did "like" boxers, so maybe that's it, but I don't see ads related to the hundreds of other things I "liked"


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Izret101 on January 06, 2015, 01:34:55 AM
Checkout the documentary Conditions May Apply.
The gathering and sale of information is a HUGE moneymaker.

This website is likely the only one I visit that does not collect information.
But the bots for the search engines do ;)

Even people who have never used a computer still have a digital footprint thanks to public records being available online.

If you have a gas card, credit card, grocery card, store membership, etc they are monitoring your spending and purchasing habits.

I believe it was AMEX who ended up catching hell for increasing the APR and reducing spending limits on users who swiped their cards at Walmart.
The thinking was if you use to shop at Trader Joes and now have to cut corners at Walmart it is likely that you have taken on a financial burden and are now a higher credit risk.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: OatBob on January 06, 2015, 02:28:33 AM
At least you don't live in China where everyday appliances have the potential to be "bugged" with small electronics that try to tunnel home through your wifi network.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2480900/China-spying-KETTLE-Bugs-scan-wi-fi-devices-imported-kitchen-gadgets.html


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: MaterialHandlerMike on January 06, 2015, 01:03:46 PM
I live alone and rarely talk on the phone. Sony will get some pretty boring conversations that I have with my cats, I guess.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Izret101 on January 06, 2015, 01:43:23 PM
I expect you will be getting pet insurance and cat food/toy related ads very soon.
:P


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Fokakis79 on January 06, 2015, 04:26:33 PM
If that is the case, I will be receiving ads for junk food and hydroponic supply stores :)


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Izret101 on January 06, 2015, 04:54:24 PM
Just listen to any "local" rock station and you should be getting ads for the latter anyways lol


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 06, 2015, 11:44:27 PM
Checkout the documentary Conditions May Apply.
The gathering and sale of information is a HUGE moneymaker.

This website is likely the only one I visit that does not collect information.
But the bots for the search engines do ;)

Even people who have never used a computer still have a digital footprint thanks to public records being available online.

If you have a gas card, credit card, grocery card, store membership, etc they are monitoring your spending and purchasing habits.

I believe it was AMEX who ended up catching hell for increasing the APR and reducing spending limits on users who swiped their cards at Walmart.
The thinking was if you use to shop at Trader Joes and now have to cut corners at Walmart it is likely that you have taken on a financial burden and are now a higher credit risk.

that would be like seeing someone driving a car in the direction of your girlfriend's house, assuming they're going to have their way with her, and then destroying the car with an RPG


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: techwizard on January 07, 2015, 05:10:02 AM
if you're not breaking the law then there should be nothing to worry about. personally i couldn't care less about my spending/buying habits being known, or what i do on facebook. if you don't want a website to have your information, never visit it. life's too short to be paranoid about being watched all the time, if it's not affecting my real life then it doesn't bother me.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Fokakis79 on January 07, 2015, 07:19:20 PM
if you're not breaking the law then there should be nothing to worry about. personally i couldn't care less about my spending/buying habits being known, or what i do on facebook. if you don't want a website to have your information, never visit it. life's too short to be paranoid about being watched all the time, if it's not affecting my real life then it doesn't bother me.

Agreed. Most companies have been doing this for years anyways before the advent of the smart phones, and the internet. Instead of ads on your computers and devices, it came in the form of Junk Mail.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 08, 2015, 08:16:36 AM
if you're not breaking the law then there should be nothing to worry about. personally i couldn't care less about my spending/buying habits being known, or what i do on facebook. if you don't want a website to have your information, never visit it. life's too short to be paranoid about being watched all the time, if it's not affecting my real life then it doesn't bother me.

that would be like saying "if you don't want Disney World to secretly monitor your brain activity via secret high-tech drones, then don't go to Disney World"

maybe these companies should just stop invading our privacy


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Izret101 on January 08, 2015, 09:52:35 AM
They have no reason to stop.

If anything the more invasive companies/products have become the more successful they are.

The general populace doesn't care about privacy they care about convenience.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: techwizard on January 08, 2015, 01:11:50 PM
most of them are covered somewhere buried in their terms of service anyway, yes it's a hassle but you're technically expected to read all of that. the real problem then is people being too lazy to read those, myself included, because if you were to read them you would know ahead of time what you're getting into and can then make a better judgement of who not to support if you have a problem with privacy concerns.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: Izret101 on January 08, 2015, 01:13:57 PM
Pick your poison.
They all have the same clauses.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: gbpxl on January 10, 2015, 01:47:03 AM
most of them are covered somewhere buried in their terms of service anyway, yes it's a hassle but you're technically expected to read all of that. the real problem then is people being too lazy to read those, myself included, because if you were to read them you would know ahead of time what you're getting into and can then make a better judgement of who not to support if you have a problem with privacy concerns.

It's not a matter of laziness, it's a matter of not having the time to read it. I don't consider myself lazy at all, it's just not realistic to read through every single contract you agree to.

The only times I've read through an entire contract were if I were about to sign a lease or get a gym membership. they purposely make those contracts with the phones, programs, etc extremely wordy and hard to read so that people don't know what they are signing- a practice that needs to be stopped. I think the government needs to force businesses to limit the length of a contract or somehow simplify the wording so your average person will understand it.


Title: Re: Is you Smart TV spying on you?
Post by: MaterialHandlerMike on January 10, 2015, 12:17:33 PM
I don't read a lot of the contracts I agree to. That is what makes the South Park episode "Human Cent-iPAD" so damn humorous.