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LG TVs spying on users...
flagpole
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Couldn't see a thread on this. was in the news yesterday.
source http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/lg_smart_tv_data_collection/
LG smart TVs silently log owners' viewing habits to the South Korean company's servers and use them to serve targeted ads, one researcher has claimed.
According to Yorkshire, UK–based hacker "DoctorBeet," the internet-enabled sets try to phone home to LG every time a viewer changes the channel, giving the chaebol the ability to track exactly which channels are being watched, minute by minute.
LG smart TVs silently log owners' viewing habits to the South Korean company's servers and use them to serve targeted ads, one researcher has claimed.
According to Yorkshire, UK–based hacker "DoctorBeet," the internet-enabled sets try to phone home to LG every time a viewer changes the channel, giving the chaebol the ability to track exactly which channels are being watched, minute by minute.
source http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html
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An interesting snippet at the bottom of the article about the LG Spy TV
So I'd say it's safe to assume Samsung is also harvesting viewing data on it's smart tv's too.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/21/lg-admits-smart-tv-data-collection/
LG say they are working on a new firmware that will adhere to user preferences re data mining
The problem isn't really that it is collecting such data, it is that it continued to do so even if the menu option to switch it off was changed. Plus of course, the fact data can be collected is supposed to made clear and explicit permission requested to do so, neither of which happened in this case.
Techradar
And of course, we have Talk Talk and their Huawei partner who are implementing their Homesafe adult content filter.
Huawei have, apparently, stated that even if you choose to opt out your data and browsing habits are still logged by their servers they just don't filter websites.
And this is the system that Cameron has held up as the model by which other ISPs should take their lead.
It seems nearly everyone is at it, not just GCHQ, the NSA and LG.
question...what happens if you don't connect it to the internet, just use the over air service?
Not saying that is what's happening but it's what I'd do ...if I were a shifty git :cool:
Using it offline forever though would just render it a dumb tv
Antivirus for your tv? or masking tape for the camera and mic.
It's the tip of the iceberg. They're all at it. And this is just a TV. Think what your mobile phone or computer manufacturer has.
Big Brother is watching us !
I don't think big brother is watching you. I think companies you buy things from are willing to grab everything they can about you and sell it for $1. Regardless of how much you've paid them already.
Because nobody cares enough to stop them.
Personally I wish they'd all f*ck off, but seeing as I buy and use many of those products I accept that certain information will go back to them. Doesn't mean to say I'm happy for this to happen if I've opted out!!! Waiting for the update to my LG TV...
I don't think they are evil just for the sake of it. they just want to monetize everything.
so for them to be transmitting pictures of you would take a scenario something like they had developed a way to automatically tell how many people were watching the tv, their gender and age from a photo.
then they'd do it in a heart beat.
Exactly, lots of money in that at the moment.
As for the cameras, I shudder to think what they would see if they did actually send photos from customers living rooms back. :eek: Customers would see ads appearing for tasteful wallpapers
Absolutely.
I too don't believe there's any intention to be sinister, it is, as you say, that they are commercial companies and as such will do anything to wring every last penny they can from you.
While I can understand the concerns, particularly from parents, about built in webcams some TVs have I would think it would be far more difficult for a hacker to get a TV webcam to spy on people than it is for a PC webcam. Surely it would require fooling a user into downloading and applying some kind of custom firmware onto the TV and installing it?.
Having said that, Microsoft have taken out a patent on a system where built in webcams can be used to spy on people, not to watch their every move but to be able to tell how many people are watching something, their ages etc. and be able to shut off say a BluRay and demand extra payment if too many people are watching But, just because a patent has been taken out doesn't mean that patent will lead to such things, but it's a possibility..
Oh in a few cases they might see adverts for Fleshlights, saucy underwear, condoms and such like.
i remember hearing on the news someone already being sent to jail for hacking into someone elses pc and taking pics using the built in camera.
How are the external sources labelled AV1, HDMI1? what use would that be to LG?!
Different thing entirely, at present.
For a hacker to get access to your webcam they need to fool you to give them access to your PC, this usually involves them getting you to install a malicious program delivered via a dodgy email, or a dodgy download from a website.
If you have decent anti virus, a decent firewall and decent anti malware software, and keep them up to date and scan everything you download, you are very unlikely to ever be a victim of such a hacker. Plus keep your browser and plugins (such as Flash) up to date, as well as installing security updates for your operating system as they are made available.
With a webcam attached to a TV it is likely to be even more difficult for a hacker to get access. They would probably have to fool you into installing some custom firmware to your TV, which would be a very complicated process for them to write in the first place and then somehow fool you into installing it. The only exception would be if the TV company were stupid enough to have your TV's built in cam broadcasting pictures and/or videos in the clear all the time. Technically a hacker could intercept those data streams, but that is very unlikely.
And does anyone know which sets do this? I've got a LG 42LN575 and as far as I can see it doesn't do this. Or if it does it's pi55 poor at serving up ads. All I saw was the LG logo where any ad would presumably appear plus a promo image for Now TV which is available as one of the Smart features so could have been associated with that.
Turned it on around 10 pm and there was a software update prompt and after install it doesn't seem to be attempting to access the sites, so the promised update to rid us of this has arrived.