61–70 of 711 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Too many people saying, “I have nothing to hide.” Also, people like “free” stuff.
Nothing to hide mentality ignores why America has a Bill of Rights. Becuase the moment you give a government too much control you have no rights. We are slowly working towards this. Little by little our rights are taken away.
How did we go from a country that made it a crime to share video rental records to one where everything you watch is constantly monitored and monetized?
The video rental records were used to compromise a congressman from the ruling party. That's the only reason there is a specific privacy law for them. If you want a TV privacy law, you'll have compromise a congressman.
Stuff like this is the reason I don’t connect smart TVs to the internet. If I need web content on the TV, I can connect my laptop with HDMI. The TV should be no more than a display and speakers with a tuner.
To each their own - 100% of the content I consume is Netflix or YouTube. For me a non-smart tv is useless unless I hook up something smart to it.
Related anecdote. My TV needed an update via internet. I noticed that there was no way to delete a wifi password, meaning once connected it was game over. The only solution was to setup temporary wifi credentials, do the update, then change the router credentials again.
The TV also asks for wifi credentials to show you help pages. So, enable help and game over for connectivity and privacy. Nice.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The video rental records were used to compromise a congressman from the ruling party. That's the only reason there is a specific privacy law for them. If you want a TV privacy law, you'll have compromise a congressman.
Correction: if you want a regulatory law of any kind, you'll have to compromise a congressman to a greater extent than existing foreign and corporate interests have already compromised said congressman.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or you could just not connect your TV to your internet connection.
I imagine the thinking is that if the TV is not connected to any WiFi, it might try to connect to something public or non-password protected neighbornet so it’s better to connect it to something non-functional rather than unconnected. Of course, the TV could just lie about what it’s doing anyway...
Few reasons why I prefer dumb TVs, just a flat LED panel: 1. You have control over bullshit like this 2. You can make them smart by attaching the external box 3. You don't have to throw the TV because your Software is now old, just change the box. 4. There's new format which requires hardware support (av1 is coming), change the box. 5. Want to add new hardware? Upgrade the box.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
To each their own - 100% of the content I consume is Netflix or YouTube. For me a non-smart tv is useless unless I hook up something smart to it.
But you could plug in a Roku or a Fire TV, right? The TV can't proxy through those. It's maybe cringeworthy to say, but I probably trust those companies more than I do Samsung.
Stuff like this is the reason I don’t connect smart TVs to the internet. If I need web content on the TV, I can connect my laptop with HDMI. The TV should be no more than a display and speakers with a tuner.
Can't confirm this myself, but in previous threads about similar topics, people noted that some of those "smart" devices probe every open WiFi they find and use that without your explicit consent. So it's not always possible to disconnect them.