So does your isp, and uses that for targeted ads. My pihole is constantly blocking a domain ran by xfinity that collects data for their targeted ad service
Your TV Is Spying On You
Submitted 2 months ago by Pro@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.ludlowinstitute.org/articles/your-tv-is-spying-on-you
Comments
shiroininja@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Lojcs@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I don’t think those two facts are related? Your isp doesn’t need to connect to its servers from within your local network to track your internet usage. Something else in your network must be trying to connect to that domain
plantsmakemehappy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
What domain do I can make sure it’s blocked?
MyPornViewingAccount@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Id also like to know what lists hes using
supernicepojo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’ve really gotta look into pihole.
shiroininja@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s really been great
JohnnyWishbone@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Me too
supernicepojo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Can I get some more info. Do you know what device on your network is asking for said address?
Roku: has its own problems, but I dont use the smart tv features and turn them all off especially the wifi. It doesnt talk to my isp and ive never got requests from it.
shiroininja@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I think it’s my LG TV. But it has its own service that I also block.
Here is the service from xfinity that I’m talking about. It’s relatively new to my network and has increased my blocked percentage by a lot. Mind you, I have 1,900,000+ domains on my blocklist
nonentity@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I’ve never allowed my TV to have an active route to the internet since I bought it in 2019, it’s exclusively fed over HDMI by gaming consoles and an Apple TV.
The thing is, HDMI 1.4 added HEC, so what’s to prevent media players from serving as an Ethernet switch and providing an internet connection to TVs.
tfowinder@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
HEC feature enables IP-based applications over HDMI and provides a bidirectional Ethernet communication at 100 Mbit/s
I think the bandwidth is too slow for HD/4K Streams.
I am sure the 100 Mbit/s must also be theoretical maximum, i would be impressed if practical cables supports even half the orignal specs
WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
for streaming, yeah, for tracking its plenty
WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
for streaming, yeah, for tracking its plenty
3dcandy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Apple TV is watching you 😁
SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 2 months ago
No, it’s not. It has not connected to the internet.
CriticalMiss@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Some TVs will sneakily connect to open APs to try and phone home. It is nasty but it does happen. You can only be worry free if you yank out the radio module. Some TVs make it easier than others (My LG TV made it as easy as opening the back of the TV and disconnecting, YMMV)
Valmond@lemmy.world 2 months ago
My TV isn’t a “smart” tv.
outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Well, so, about that.
A lot of TV’s will form mesh nets with same brand-or even across brands-, until they find one that is connected. I’ve even heard reports of one with a sim card¹.
¹in a 'smoke filled room’² ²okay it was a van. A smoke filled van. And she was on some other stuff too.
ayyy@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Where can I read about these mesh networks?
Joelk111@lemmy.world 2 months ago
My thoughts exactly. My Xbox is spying on my instead.
pocker_machine@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I think you meant - Me Xbox is spying on my instead.
FlembleFabber@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Yup same, running a shield
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 months ago
YOUR tv is spying on you. MY tv has no smart capability.
heavy@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
How does that help me though?
FinalRemix@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Disconnect it from the internet…?
UntitledQuitting@reddthat.com 2 months ago
Is every comment in the world supposed to cater to you? Are people allowed to add to discussions without consulting you first?
RagingSnarkasm@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I think they are inviting you over to their place to watch some (dumb) TV?
Enkers@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
It doesn’t if you don’t connect it to the internet.
kescusay@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yep. My TV has not and never will be on the Internet in any way. I picked it for its screen quality, and the fact that it also has “smart” components never even entered into the decision. Because those smart components will literally never do anything.
captainastronaut@seattlelunarsociety.org 2 months ago
Stupid TVs FTW. If you can’t buy them stupid, give them a WiFi lobotomy.
tfowinder@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
There has to be a youtube guide to giving WiFi Lobotomy
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 2 months ago
no it isn’t. yours might be, but not mine.
hansolo@lemmy.today 2 months ago
In other news, water found to be wet, puppies cute. More at 11.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Do you have pictures of these puppies? We need confirmation.
hansolo@lemmy.today 2 months ago
Oh yeah, for sure.
bstix@feddit.dk 2 months ago
Sometimes hundreds of snapshots a second.
That’s a pretty neat FPS for a tv.
beveradb@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Yeah I’m calling bullshit on that quote, I’d like to see proof of any smart TV having beefy enough hardware to record anything at 100fps+, and even then what would be the point? Nothing played back on the screen will even have a frame rate and 60fps… I’m sure this is a lazy article mistake
Breezy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If they were recording so much couldnt tv makers be held liable for recording another companies property.
camelbeard@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The article states that’s what the privacy policy sais samsung can sample every 500ms and LG every 10ms. It doesn’t really mean they are, but it’s definitely possible. A very basic way of detecting content is to take a 1000 pixels evenly spaced out over the screen and store the color values. That gives you something you can match against a database. You don’t need to process a 4K screenshot for this.
tatterdemalion@programming.dev 2 months ago
Does anyone know if there’s a domain blocklist for smart TV telemetry? If so, I could easily put it into my DNS server, like I already do for ads.
I’d like to continue using my streaming apps without resorting to yet another device. I have an HTPC that runs KODI but I think it’d be a pain to replace all of my streaming apps.
flightyhobler@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Turn the TV on and keep an eye on the logs. Many of the common blocklist already block that kind of telemetry.
laserlizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
A couple I’m aware of:
alucard@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
Thank you for posting this! You saved me a search
TipRing@lemmy.world 2 months ago
My ACL says my TV can’t talk to the internet.
ryannathans@aussie.zone 2 months ago
Solar systems have mobile modems in them to phone home
Cars have mobile modems in them to phone home
Maybe some TVs do too
suicidaleggroll@lemmy.world 2 months ago
TVs are way too inexpensive for manufacturers to pay for modems, service fees, and bandwidth fees to collect this kind of data. They’d spend more paying for that cell connection over the lifetime of the TV than you paid for the product in the first place. Solar systems and cars that cost many tens of thousands of dollars are a completely different ballpark compared to a $500-1000 TV.
TipRing@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No carrier has cell service at my house but maybe they will add a sat phone.
Zron@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Nothing a jumper wire can’t fix
DFX4509B_2@lemmy.org 2 months ago
Mine ain’t, I’m using an ancient dumb TV.
Raiderkev@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’m not, but I’ve disconnected the Internet from it. It can try all it wants to send the data to the mother ship.
Lifter@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
Soon they may come with cellular capacity. Cars and e-bikes already do.
You gotta Faraday cage it!
camelbeard@lemmy.world 2 months ago
99% of what we watch is from streaming (Netflix, YouTube, etc). A dumb tv with a Chromecast probably isn’t any better.
Ledericas@lemm.ee 2 months ago
even better we dont use tv anymore, just a PC.
DFX4509B_2@lemmy.org 1 month ago
Still gonna need a large screen somehow unless you watch all your stuff at the desk or through a laptop.
atlien51@lemm.ee 2 months ago
What 4K TV can I buy that doesn’t do this guys help? Or should I stick to monitors???
pool_spray_098@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I mean… Just don’t hook the TV up to the internet. Don’t join your WiFi network on the TV.
Kind of a simple solution.
atlien51@lemm.ee 2 months ago
No it’s not! I had a goddamn Sony tv and it wouldn’t let me change certain settings unless I connected it to the internet! They try to force your hand!
winkerjadams@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Until the cost of a sim card w/service is less than the revenue they generate from it. Which I fear is scarily close.
outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Doesn’t work anymore. They do dark mesh networks.
Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You can’t activate the warranty without it. Then once it knows it can go online it will constantly harass you.
Manalith@midwest.social 2 months ago
Sceptre still makes TVs that are just that, no underlying smart OS
atlien51@lemm.ee 2 months ago
TY!
Steve@communick.news 2 months ago
Look for Signage Displays. They’re basically TVs with different software.
atlien51@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Never heard of those before. Thanks
MTK@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I got xiaomi, opened it up and disconnected the Bluetooth / wifi card. Connect it to a linux device and now it is a shitter version of a dumb tv. It’s crazy how smart tvs really really suck at being dumb. But it does work once you get used to some annoying quirks.
Tip: connect a cheap air mouse/keyboard to it as a remote
FG_3479@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You can buy any TV. Just turn off the tracking in the settings and plug in a streaming stick.
f4f4f4f4f4f4f4f4@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
The company that made my TV is engaged in copyright infringement, you say? Transmitting copyrighted images over the Internet for profit?
Huh.
AA5B@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Jokes on them: I watch videos on my tablet. There’s no way that’s spying on me, right? Right?
eleitl@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Not if your tablet runs an open source operating system without tracking. Like GrapheneOS or LineageOS, which both can be set up entirely without Google services, or sandboxing apps.
lemmylommy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Hundreds of snapshots a second? So my tv has at least 200 Hz? Or do they snap the same frame multiple times just for fun?
FG_3479@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The built-in OS on smart TVs almost always sucks. The built-in OS on our LG is slower, has less apps, and has less support for HDR and higher resolutions than our Fire stick.
Just don’t use it and instead plug in a Fire stick, turn off its tracking, then sideload apps like BeeTV and HDO Box.
I know Amazon has a bad rep from a privacy standpoint but the Fire stick is super cheap compared to its competition and lets you turn off the tracking in one page of the settings menu.
hootmcgoot@lemm.ee 2 months ago
The artivle says they TVs still capture input and do recognition from external sources so using an external device is not helping.
orb360@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
The TV can still connect via weave, Amazon sidewalk, or other mesh networks through your neighbors doorbell or thermostat or whatever… Even if you never connect it, it could still report. Have to open it up and destroy the antennas.
aceshigh@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I just don’t own a tv. Getting rid of my entertainment and gaming systems and most of social media was my answer to internal peace. I don’t have streaming either.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I guess I’ll stick with my 2012 Toshiba 55" dumb TV.
JTskulk@lemmy.world 2 months ago
My TV is not a smart TV, it’s not spying on me.
gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
No it’s not.
Still got an old Panasonic plasma from 2010 and it’s going strong.
JustARegularNerd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Part of the reason why I take good care of my little 24" dumb TV. It’s on the lower end (poor viewing angles, absolutely no adjustment on the legs) but I still have a use for it, so I won’t be replacing it.
The other concern I have with smart TVs is because manufacturers basically install a smartphone SoC, the TV’s lifecycle is now the same as a smartphone. Most people probably won’t connect a new smart TV box to their discontinued, laggy (thanks to bloated apps) smart TV, the completely functional unit just gets replaced.
acchariya@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Just create a black hole network at your house and connect all ‘smart’ appliances to that. Block all traffic at the router level. This prevents them trying to connect to open mesh networks and also provides the benefit of cataloging all the traffic
foosedev@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I watch TV through my computer using Jellyfin. Am I at danger?
tdawg@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Comms must be infrequent bc my domain sink doesn’t log anything like that from my tv when I’ve checked
thedruid@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No shit
ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Spy all you want Agent Hisense of the Roku org, I’ve got you in a black box. Your communications have been cut! You’ll never report back to HQ now!
kieron115@startrek.website 2 months ago
On my Sony Bravia running Android you can just disable the Samba app from running same as you’d disable any app.
sexy_peach@feddit.org 2 months ago
Not mine, since I don’t have one ;)
AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s almost like we should have strong data privacy laws so companies can’t spy on everything we do…
FinalRemix@lemmy.world 2 months ago
But think of the corporations! Why isn’t anyone thinking of the poor withering corporations?!
Jakule17@lemmy.world 2 months ago
European liberals are trying to weaken gdpr