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216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

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Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#521

Post by likeclockwork »

ryandrake wrote: post #433
account42 wrote: post #362

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's exactly why this keeps happening. If I bug your house I'd be charged with all kinds of crimes. If LG does it at scale nothing happens.

We need to climb two very difficult hills for there to be any change here: 1. We need our governments to actually start charging companies with crimes, when what they are doing would be illegal for an individual to do, and 2. We need the penalties to be something other than fines, which are ultimately treated by companies as routine costs of business.

Flogging or prison time for whoever has the highest salary.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#522

Post by jdprgm »

afarah1 wrote: post #307
spockz wrote: post #172

Okay. This is insane. First the monitor that uses a windows feature to automatically install a small helper tool with root permissions and then starts showing adds in certain regions. Now a tv that is actually actively snooping around on top of the known fingerprinting. What else is next? In the previous topic I got ridiculed for not wanting to buy LG anymore because I could use an agent to modify to strip out the of…

I think the insane part is that this is not criminal and the executives are not jailed for it.

Seriously. This was my first thought too, the audacity to implement a system like this and the deterioration of a society that seems to give any fucks about privacy where this will be a minor news story that gets some buzz then disappears fairly quickly... I don't know what the fuck has happened. At the very least something like this should result in devastating class action lawsuits towards LG.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#523

Post by II2II »

Sophira wrote: post #175
korzinka wrote: post #107

I've bought an LG Smart TV 5 years ago, read t&c where I was supposed to grant them any data they wanted, decided to disagree and kept all network functions disabled. I was ridiculed by my friends for that. At some point, I thought - maybe I'm really crazy to do so? Who am I, a caveman, a luddite? Oh well, I'm not. Not a bad tv though, many HDMI ports!

Nah, you're not crazy. I'm also someone who actually reads terms documents, because I find that they're often the only thing that will be truthful about a company's intentions. And keeping it completely disconnected from the internet should be the default, in my opinion.

> I find that they're often the only thing that will be truthful about a company's intentions.

Really? Many years ago, I had to physically sign a license with Microsoft to obtain some software. The license was not consistent with the license included with the software. Both licenses effectively said they were the real license and that any other agreement you made with Microsoft was not valid.

I don't think there was any nefarious intent. It was likely to avoid a situation where Microsoft employees offered terms that were not approved of by the company. Still, it goes to show that it can be awfully difficult to judge the intent of a company.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#524

Post by Barbing »

ux266478 wrote: post #502
cesarb wrote: post #425

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It exists to displays pixels from a Linux box, If you're not using the defining feature of a TV (the OTA tuner), why not buy a monitor instead of a TV? (Next time I have to replace our house's TV, I'm seriously considering buying a separate SBTVD tuner and a monitor instead of a TV, if ignoring the "smart" features of these TVs by not connecting them to a network starts getting too difficult.)

You're a bit late on that, monitors without all the same features are going the way of the dodo. Smart features are even starting to crop up in the commercial display market. Your last vestige will be buying a panel without a controller board and turning it into a display yourself.

The “without WiFi” panels indeed looking rare. Found one line and it’s out-of-stock for 2-4wks:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1828914-REG/samsung_q...

Looks like $400 for a 55” 4K TV, $500 for a commercial one, and $1000 to get a commercial one without WiFi. Selling point includes:

  “the QB55C-N model is free of wireless connectivity and TAA compliant for use in secure facilities.”
TAA: they made it in Mexico (not China, Russia, etc.) to comply with some Trade Agreements Act. Their marketing brochure shows military usage:

https://partnerzon.specialelektronik.se/storage/files/produc...

But we just don’t want creepy executives spying on us for bigger bonuses. Hope “secure facilities” keep buying displays that promise not to do gross things so we have something safe for our homes.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#525

Post by ticulatedspline »

I'm surprised this hasn't run afoul of all-party wiretap laws. Even if you could waive your own rights via ToS other people in the house may not have agreed.

Theoretically I could see LG or even the TV's owner being culpable.

I'd love to see that case hit the media. Average citizen jailed over wiretap violations because they let their TV record a guest.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#528

Post by Barbing »

dillutedfixer wrote: post #461
para_parolu wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My question was about why to go and unplug wifi internally

Well even if they don't do it now, these are just a forced update away from using WiFi to connect to an open AP to do whatever they want. I also really hated the fact that there was really no way to turn BT off. Anytime the TV was on it showed up as a BT device ready to connect, and I would get random neighbors trying to and having to say no to random pop ups approving connections. Now these things are sans any type…

Awesome. Did you follow a guide or are you particularly handy and then some? :) (since even with a guide, can mess something up!)
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