4 ms·

If you're worried about privacy just don't connect it to the Internet and buy a smart TV stick of your choice instead that you plug into the HDMI port of the TV

If you're worried about privacy just don't connect it to the Internet and buy a smart TV stick of your choice instead that you plug into the HDMI port of the TV (or use a Raspberry Pi if you don't trust those either). Problem solved. Probably 99 % of people are fine with owning a smart TV, so it's clear that manufacturers won't cater to the 1 % that are not fine with it.

nitrogen 6y ago
People have reported smart TVs connecting to open wifi when they aren't manually connected.
- mortenjorck 6y ago
  I keep seeing this mentioned, but no one ever refers to a specific brand that has been observed doing this. It's plausible, but who’s doing it?
- THE_PUN_STOPS 6y ago
  Just open the case and disconnect the wifi antenna or, in the case of a PCB etched antenna, apply X-acto blade. See! It's opt-in.
  - jankotek 6y ago
    Perfectly valid solution, and it gets downvoted on Hacker News...
    - cgrealy 6y ago
      To be fair, I don’t think most people would consider a solution that voids the warranty on an expensive TV valid...
      - jankotek 6y ago
        Hacking used to be about modifying your hardware. Smart TVs are relatively cheap compared to large industrial displays. They are also reliable. If you need large secure (no wifi) display, this is pefectly valid option.
    - mark-r 6y ago
      The implication is that this isn't a problem that can't be solved, and thus stronger remedies are unnecessary. There might be some who disagree.
  - ianai 6y ago
    Pretty sure you’re being sarcastic saying that’s a valid thing to expect end users to do to opt out. And I agree. Wish mining peoples privacy wasn’t accepted norm.
  - perlgeek 6y ago
    If you have to take action for it not to do something, it's opt-out, not opt-in.
  - robocat 6y ago
    “Disabling Wireless Signals from Samsung Smart TV“ https://emfaction.userecho.com/en/communities/1/topics/124-disabling-wireless-signals-from-samsung-smart-tv https://emfaction.userecho.com/en/communities/1/topics/124-d...
    - EricE 6y ago
      Or just don't buy Samsung TVs. Their UI's are crap even for the "dumb" functions.
    - EricE 6y ago
      He's not doing that because the TV is connecting to wifi, he's concerned about "wifi radiation" - sigh.
      - nitrogen 6y ago
        There are more legitimate reasons. If you are one of the few people who live in a radio quiet zone, or if you suspect 2.4GHz interference with other 2.4GHz radios you use, or if you develop and test RF gear, you'd want to be able to disable the radio.
  - rdc12 6y ago
    Not sure if this is more or less extreme option, but you could put the TV in a Faraday cage, or build a Faraday cage into your walls.
- Grazester 6y ago
  Until there is some proof of this it's all hearsay.
- peteradio 6y ago
  Cover your house in tinfoil you dingus!
foepys 6y ago
All smart TVs have WiFi capabilities and could potentially connect to any open network. I cannot find it on my phone right now but I remember somebody catching their smart TV actually doing exactly that. Maybe somebody else has a link.
- ThePhysicist 6y ago
  There's a thread on Reddit [1] but the poster never replied when people asked about the exact model and no one else reported this behavior, so I'm skeptical (I own a Samsung smart TV and from my experience it always asks you before attempting to connect to any wifi network). From the manufacturers' point of view it wouldn't make much sense auto-connecting to an arbitrary open network as that will in many cases just lead to an unusable connection, so I have a hard time believing Samsung would actually do this. What's more likely is that someone else (spouse, kid) used the TV, selected an open wifi and the TV saved that without OP knowing. But who knows, maybe Samsung is really after us. Anyway, if you're so worried about the device maker spying on you it's probably best to avoid buying such a device (or any kind of smart device including a smartphone). In that case just use a monitor instead. 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choose_to_not_connect_your_samsung_smart/ https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choo...
- robocat 6y ago
  Here is a hn user saying that, albeit without any verification: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21010777 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21010777

nitrogen 6y ago

People have reported smart TVs connecting to open wifi when they aren't manually connected.

mortenjorck 6y ago
I keep seeing this mentioned, but no one ever refers to a specific brand that has been observed doing this. It's plausible, but who’s doing it?
THE_PUN_STOPS 6y ago
Just open the case and disconnect the wifi antenna or, in the case of a PCB etched antenna, apply X-acto blade. See! It's opt-in.
- jankotek 6y ago
  Perfectly valid solution, and it gets downvoted on Hacker News...
  - cgrealy 6y ago
    To be fair, I don’t think most people would consider a solution that voids the warranty on an expensive TV valid...
    - jankotek 6y ago
      Hacking used to be about modifying your hardware. Smart TVs are relatively cheap compared to large industrial displays. They are also reliable. If you need large secure (no wifi) display, this is pefectly valid option.
  - mark-r 6y ago
    The implication is that this isn't a problem that can't be solved, and thus stronger remedies are unnecessary. There might be some who disagree.
- ianai 6y ago
  Pretty sure you’re being sarcastic saying that’s a valid thing to expect end users to do to opt out. And I agree. Wish mining peoples privacy wasn’t accepted norm.
- perlgeek 6y ago
  If you have to take action for it not to do something, it's opt-out, not opt-in.
- robocat 6y ago
  “Disabling Wireless Signals from Samsung Smart TV“ https://emfaction.userecho.com/en/communities/1/topics/124-disabling-wireless-signals-from-samsung-smart-tv https://emfaction.userecho.com/en/communities/1/topics/124-d...
  - EricE 6y ago
    Or just don't buy Samsung TVs. Their UI's are crap even for the "dumb" functions.
  - EricE 6y ago
    He's not doing that because the TV is connecting to wifi, he's concerned about "wifi radiation" - sigh.
    - nitrogen 6y ago
      There are more legitimate reasons. If you are one of the few people who live in a radio quiet zone, or if you suspect 2.4GHz interference with other 2.4GHz radios you use, or if you develop and test RF gear, you'd want to be able to disable the radio.
- rdc12 6y ago
  Not sure if this is more or less extreme option, but you could put the TV in a Faraday cage, or build a Faraday cage into your walls.
Grazester 6y ago
Until there is some proof of this it's all hearsay.
peteradio 6y ago
Cover your house in tinfoil you dingus!

foepys 6y ago

All smart TVs have WiFi capabilities and could potentially connect to any open network. I cannot find it on my phone right now but I remember somebody catching their smart TV actually doing exactly that. Maybe somebody else has a link.

ThePhysicist 6y ago
There's a thread on Reddit [1] but the poster never replied when people asked about the exact model and no one else reported this behavior, so I'm skeptical (I own a Samsung smart TV and from my experience it always asks you before attempting to connect to any wifi network). From the manufacturers' point of view it wouldn't make much sense auto-connecting to an arbitrary open network as that will in many cases just lead to an unusable connection, so I have a hard time believing Samsung would actually do this. What's more likely is that someone else (spouse, kid) used the TV, selected an open wifi and the TV saved that without OP knowing. But who knows, maybe Samsung is really after us. Anyway, if you're so worried about the device maker spying on you it's probably best to avoid buying such a device (or any kind of smart device including a smartphone). In that case just use a monitor instead. 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choose_to_not_connect_your_samsung_smart/ https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choo...
robocat 6y ago
Here is a hn user saying that, albeit without any verification: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21010777 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21010777