There is no doubt that Smart TV’s is what everyone wants in their homes but are you putting your privacy at risk by having one? For example, there was the controversy with the Samsung Smart TV’s hearing even your most personal conversations and only giving you a one line warning in their privacy policy.
What you can do to protect yourself will depend on what brand and model TV you have.
Vizio TV’s
It sounds pretty scary, but Vizio is the only company that spies by default. You can protect yourself by turning off the TV’s Smart Interactivity by: A foolproof way you can keep your Vizio and any brand TV from spying on you is by dumbing it down. Unless it’s necessary, disconnect it from the Internet. You can easily do this by going to “Settings -> WiFi On/Off” toggle and turn it off. It’s a drastic measure, but it’s the best way to go, at least when you’re not using the “smart” feature of your TV.
Samsung TV’s
Samsung asks you if they can track your viewing habits, but if you regret saying yes, there is still something you can do. You can recover your privacy back by: Since you’re already in that area, I would also recommend that you deactivate the Voice Recognition Services. Like I mentioned before, back in 2015 Samsung TV’s were found guilty of listening on your conversation if it was within earshot. They said they fixed it, but just in case.
LG TV’s
If you own a current line of the company’s TV’s, then you will be happy to know that they don’t automatically collect your information. The downside is that the older models do. You can easily fix that by going to “Options -> Live Plus -> Turn it off”.
Other Brands
Since there are quite a few brands out there, you can also protect your privacy by keeping the operating systems up to date and never click on attachments and links you’re not sure are safe. It would also be a good idea to go for a streaming box or dongle for your TV Internet interests. You’ll like them since they are user-friendly and have more features to enjoy as well. I’m not saying that they will never spy on you, but with these devices, you have more control. They also behave the way you expect them to do. Some TV’s use Android TV and that results in being subject to Google’s rules. If you have a Sony TV, it can also collect data, but the good news is that they offer clear-eyed privacy terms, and conditions screen the first time you set it up, but you can easily opt out of them.
Conclusion
Some things are better when they are left dumb since no one liked to feel watched. Smart TV’s have their advantages but also have a huge disadvantage as well. Do you think that having a smart TV is worth all the hassle? Drop a comment and let me know.
