"Smart" TV warning

Don M.

Don M.

SF VIP
Location
central Missouri
"Smart" TV's could easily become a source of "hacking" of your privacy and personal information. If you have, or are thinking about buying one of these, and hooking it up to the Internet, via sources like Hulu and Netflix, you may be as risk. This is a relatively new source for the crooks to begin using, once they begin to figure out the potential for abusing this source. Even the FBI is exploring this risk, and probably preparing for a whole new set of problems for individuals.....

https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/01/fbi-smart-tv-security/
 

I heard something about that on the evening news; IIRC, there was mention about putting a piece of tape over the camera? None of the Smart TV's we have are equipped with cameras and as far as I know, programs like SKYPE cannot be used on them. I was going to check into it further tonight. Thanks for reminding me!
 
Interesting. The newer Smart TV's DO have cameras and mics. Well, glad I know that. My older TV in my bedroom is trying to go out on me and I was thinking of getting a newer one this season. Guess I'll watch one of the other TV's.
 

Don't have a smart t.v. or phone. Do have newer desktop computer daughter gave me for Christmas two years ago. I put a sticky note over the camera when I read someone could watch you without you knowing it. Don't know if its true or not but decided not to take any chances. I may be over thinking everything but it makes me feel better!
 
terry123 said:
Don't have a smart t.v. or phone. Do have newer desktop computer daughter gave me for Christmas two years ago. I put a sticky note over the camera when I read someone could watch you without you knowing it. Don't know if its true or not but decided not to take any chances. I may be over thinking everything but it makes me feel better!
Click to expand...
It IS actually true. Everyone who has a computer should put tape over the camera cause you CAN be watched. They used to scam my father out of hundreds of dollars by messing with his computer via the camera. You aren’t overthinking anything.
That’s a smart move.
 
Thanks for the warning Don. I don't believe my smart tv has a camera or mic. It's a 2015 model, not sure they were putting cameras and mics in them then. I don't know how I would find out if mine has those things inside. Also I don't even understand why a tv would need a camera and microphone unless someone is video chatting with it. It would be really strange if the mfg.s just put cameras and mics in just to spy on us! Well, maybe I'll have to google my tv and see what exactly is in it. If someone was watching me and recording me they would probably by now have gotten bored to death by what they saw and heard! 🙃 🤪 :LOL:
 
I don't have a smart T.V. I had heard other warnings about them a couple of years ago. Just also heard the one about putting tape over the camera. I put tape over my computer's camera too. About 20 years ago, my brother (may he R.I.P.) warned that while people were watching T.V....the T.V.'s would be watching them. Sometimes technological advances wind up backfiring.
 
I went through the menu and forgot I set the security settings years ago so that I couldn't be hacked. I have the autoscan set and the security is on. I also have not had the mic on. The mic is in the accessibility settings. I googled to see if my model has a camera and got this link:

https://www.samsung.com/in/support/tv-audio-video/how-to-check-the-camera-and-mic-in-smart-tv/
I haven't done the sequence yet that they gave in the link.
 


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