By Is Your Smart TV Spying On You?
You must have heard the fuss in the media this week with the leaking of secret documents by Wikileaks regarding smart TVs. It’s alleged that our box in the corner or perhaps on the wall is spying on us. I think most people who own one have very little to worry about, but that’s not the point. It is an invasion of privacy and it’s being done without anyone knowing. You may as well invite a Policeman in to sit with you and let him take notes of everything you do and say.
What Is A Smart TV?
Put simply, a smart TV is fitted with ‘gubbins’ that can monitor the programmes you watch and at what time of day or night you watch for how long. It’s nothing new. The official term is ‘Data Collection.’ It’s not just the TV either. Smart fridges have been collecting information about what we eat, mobile phones can tell where we are or where we’ve been.
The newly leaked CIA files suggest something more sinister. Cameras and audio equipment are fitted to the TV so they spy not only on what you’re up to but listen in as well! It’ll be handy for catching anyone planning a bank raid or cooking up a scheme to kidnap the neighbours’ cat.
Are You Worried?
I don’t like the idea. I can see situations arising similar to the photograph above. The smart TV is showing Laurel and Hardy and the old couple are fast asleep. Some top CIA agent peeks in through his monitor to be greeted by sounds of snoring! Sometimes though, the agents are going to come across a more amorous view of things. So, are you worried about smart TVs?
I’d appreciate any thoughts you may have on smart TVs as I’m surprised at the amount of paranoia here in the UK. Is Big Brother coming home?
Here’s a consumer report by Which of the new TV’s.
Amanda Ricks
March 11, 2017This is actually the first I have heard about the Smart TV scenario, probably because I’ve been off grid the last few days. I just flipped over to Google and read a couple of articles about it and I guess my initial reaction is: 1. Suddenly I’m glad that I don’t have a fancy Smart TV. lol And 2. People tend to always over-react over things like this, when in truth nobody probably wants or cares about what most of them do in their living room. So cynical, eh?
Trev Jones
March 11, 2017Thanks, Amanda. I did wonder if it was a knee jerk reaction through the media. I sometimes think that if you have nothing to hide, then there’s nothing to fear.
Love it Now
March 11, 2017OMG, this is a terrible idea! It’s like this idea to put chip in the body to measure our health state on a daily basis. ????
Trev Jones
March 11, 2017Oh, I haven’t heard about the chip in the body one. That really is Big Brother. Thank you for your thoughts though.
Embeecee
March 11, 2017I hadn’t heard that business about the smart TV, but I’m not terribly surprised either. And it makes sense (to me) because the government (in America anyway) seems to be fascinated with what John Q Public (Joan Q too) is getting up to in the ‘privacy’ of their own homes. I was more aggravated (and annoyed) when the news came out that “they” track one via a cell phone and the gps in it. Appear to be fascinated by where we go. I say f*ck ’em. If they’re amused or get some kind of information pertinent to the world from looking at an old woman (me) yelling at the telly (on occasion) or grumbling about the quality of her internet connection or saying she thinks the government are a buncha overpaid morons…hey! More power to ’em. If they want to know I go to the grocery once a week, and mostly spend my time in my house writing things on the computer and watching videos of funny animal clips and uploading flower and teacup pictures…hey! More power to ’em again. If they were to ask me? (which they won’t – America does not like people who think for themselves. At all.) I’d say spend the %#$!%$ billions of dollars you spend tracking what I do in my ‘privacy’ on feeding the hungry, getting help for the mentally ill and helping the homeless and down trodden. Think about someone else and how you can HELP them rather than being endlessly fascinated by what people do by themselves or in their families. To me? It’s a real life version of a reality TV show and I hate those feckin’ things!! May as well have group masturbation.
Trev Jones
March 11, 2017What a perfect answer, Embecee. I don’t think there’s anything I can add to that except to say how right you are and thank you for posting the comment. I really appreciate it.
Hope
March 11, 2017Well to me everything you use today that has a chip in it or some other quaint little item that watches us. Now if you live in a forest where no one or nothing is around you including animals you don’t have anything to worry about. OR! OR! OR! Someone secretly put a few quaint things in the forest.
In today’s world everyone is so afraid big brother is watching.
Well big brother has been watching us for eons.
You know what?
I want to know who is watching me so I can send them a bill charging them $$$$$ for the hours they watched me! We’ve waited and waited to get the technology we have today. We got it! Don’t complain.
I’m still going to complain in all the eons I have seen updates, improvements, advancement, one thing they forgot make it easier for people to use.
Trev Jones
March 11, 2017Thank you for your comments Hope. Yes, so much has chips in it today and I agree that they forgot to teach us how to use it. Lol.
davekingsbury
March 12, 2017Me and the missus have devised some little shows for them to watch. It must be very boring sitting in an office in front of a bank of TV screens …
Trev Jones
March 12, 2017Haha, Dave, that’s a great idea. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
gc
March 12, 2017Fake News! Fake News! Did Trump tweet his reaction yet? Of course while the rest of us have smart Tv he has dumb Tv….more of a babysitting feature installed on his television to ensure that he does not panic and harm himself when someone tries to break into his bedroom and pepper spray him. Too bad. So sad. He’s been had. 🙂
admin
March 12, 2017Thanks.
Covert Novelist
March 12, 2017Let me know if you didn’t get a reply, cause it seems to have disappeared….
Covert Novelist
March 12, 2017I don’t like the idea of anyone spying on the “public” WITHOUT prior consent. What’s worse is now all the information they collected has been stolen and made public so any voyeur can watch or use maliciously from punk kids out for a good time to anyone interested. Now it may not apply to all of us, but the potential for serious misuse is astronomical! I’m Canadian but I’d still feel the same. It’s lamentable this has happened in my books.It involves their not telling google, microsoft, twitter and all the others there was an available “back door” a portal that could be accessed. The last president told them to make full disclosure to every company involved. They failed to do so. Now YOUR private information is out there for any sordid type to see…hmmm…that wouldn’t make me comfortable at all.
Trev Jones
March 12, 2017Thank you Covert, I got your message. Thank you for taking the time making such a valid comment.
Covert Novelist
March 15, 2017Your welcome. It didn’t show up so I then asked if it had, lol, now I see they both showed up, lol such is life.
lifelessons
March 15, 2017i bought a smart TV mainly to watch videos on when I have my film group over once a month. I don’t subscribe to cable or dish, so I don’t really have TV. It is just a device to watch movies on. One day when I walked into the room, it turned itself on and declared that it didn’t recognize me!!! I have kept it unplugged ever since.
Trev Jones
March 15, 2017Wow! That’s scary. I don’t like these things. We will all become paranoid and frightened to say anything. Thank you for your comments though.
denise421win
July 11, 2021interesting, I wonder why they thought we would want to have a tv that is so connected to us?
Trev
July 11, 2021The more information big companies can get hold of, the more they can target their advertising exactly where they want it. Thank you Denise.