this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2024
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Privacy
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Are people aware that they can buy a smart TV and never conntect it to wi-fi and never plug in the ethernet? There is no risk if TV never gets an IP.
It's possible a smart TV will use its wifi to connect to another device of the same brand on its own. I'd read an article about it a couple years ago.
If I'm reading about it, that means a company has been working on it, and frankly it makes sense. If I were in their shoes I'd look into making it happen. It's pretty trivial to do when you think about it.
Not that I think it's happening in the wild, just an idea to keep in mind.
Also, those devices are always capturing data. So if/when they ever connect, that data will get uploaded.
There is no meaningful data for the OS to capture if it used as a display for externally connected devices.
The only way to have 100% privacy on all devices is not have internet service.
Many tvs have microphones built into them or their remotes.
Some are even sending screenshots of what they are displaying to their backend servers.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2449198-smart-tvs-take-snapshots-of-what-you-watch-multiple-times-per-second/
I guess that you cannot read well so I will say it plainly, when a TV has no access to the outside internet over the lifespan of the TV, zero information or files will ever be uploaded and will stay on TV with no external copy existing anymore.
This seems to be the key bit of the comment.
Outside of the examples listed, a more reasonable possibility is if someone else in your home (ex. A family member) connects it to the network. Also even if it doesn't automatically connect to a public network, well placed popups can also lead to mistakes.
Yoy can dream up every fantasy scenerio you want until you are butt stupid, it does not make it plausible.
Except that some of these devices are periodically "screenshotting" the screen and harvesting data from that.
Pair that with automatically connecting to open wifi networks and nothing is truly safe.
Attend to your mental health and do research to decipher hyperbole from information. Concepts is not information.