The hidden cost of cheap TV's

I'm more concerned with clicking on links and articles from internet sites than I am about my TV watching me!
 

I have to have a TV on in the bedroom, or I can't sleep. Sometimes the cable goes off during the night requiring me to "press any button on the remote to continue watching", but the silence wakes me up anyway.

Does the spying happen on all TVs or just digital ones. I have an old CRT TV hooked up to cable.
 
I can sure relate to this subject. Example: I went on Amazon and one other channel looking at gummies for arthritis. The next time I’m on line, my mail box and Facebook are full of gummie ads for everything under the sun. By the way, I think it’s all scams and junk.
Oh, and now it’s patches for every ailment known to mankind.
 
Okay. I read the whole article. It did not say that your Smart TV would be watching you. In order to do that, your Smart TV would require a camera of some sort to film you, and then to transmit that video elsewhere via, say, the Internet. But that's not what the article said.

What it said was that, by connecting your Smart TV to the Internet and then using various services such as Hulu, Roku, and so on, that information could be tracked. This is not a big surprise.
 
I have to have a TV on in the bedroom, or I can't sleep. Sometimes the cable goes off during the night requiring me to "press any button on the remote to continue watching", but the silence wakes me up anyway.

Does the spying happen on all TVs or just digital ones. I have an old CRT TV hooked up to cable.
Your CRT TV won’t be tracking you, no.
 
Does anyone use Duck Duck Go?
Maybe better than some... however...
As it turns out, the DuckDuckGo search engine is powered by Microsoft’s own Bing search engine, and DuckDuckGo’s agreement with Microsoft includes stipulations that DuckDuckGo not block Microsoft’s LinkedIn and Bing advertising domains. Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of DuckDuckGo, confirmed this fact in a tweet, stating, “For non-search tracker blocking (eg in our browser), we block most third-party trackers. Unfortunately our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more to Microsoft-owned properties. However, we have been continually pushing and expect to be doing more soon.”
 
Maybe better than some... however...
As it turns out, the DuckDuckGo search engine is powered by Microsoft’s own Bing search engine, and DuckDuckGo’s agreement with Microsoft includes stipulations that DuckDuckGo not block Microsoft’s LinkedIn and Bing advertising domains. Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of DuckDuckGo, confirmed this fact in a tweet, stating, “For non-search tracker blocking (eg in our browser), we block most third-party trackers. Unfortunately our Microsoft search syndication agreement prevents us from doing more to Microsoft-owned properties. However, we have been continually pushing and expect to be doing more soon.”
 
This comes as no surprise. I recently bought a 'smart' tv because there was no choice. It asks quite clearly for 'cookie' permission so, anyone who uses the internet knows perfectly well what that means. However, I use mine without the internet as you do have a choice (In the UK anyway).
 
Re the OP: My brother told me that years ago and he's been gone for more than 10 years. A few years ago I did read something about "smart TVs" having the ability to spy on people. I don't have a smart T.V. but I do have a Roku.
 
When you use a smart TV, you face the same security and privacy risks as with any device connected to the internet. Your smart TV's built-in camera and microphone, originally included for voice and facial recognition features, can be accessed by hackers and used to spy on you.

The by far most common location for a hidden camera within a TV is inside the screen bezel. Look for a small lens opening within the area just beyond the edge of the screen, usually near the center either on top or bottom. Cameras on the side edges also exist, but are less common.
 
It's not your TV that's watching you. If you are watching over the air TV, there's no way to collect any data, and send that data to a far away collection site But if you subscribe to a cable service, or an entertainment provider service, they are the culprits, who are collecting data about your viewing habits.
If what comes into your TV by a wire, and not an antenna, data can go out by the same wire
 
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It's not your TV that's watching you. If you are watching over the air TV, there's no way to collect any data, and send that data to a far away collection site But if you subscribe to a cable service, or an entertainment provider service, they are the culprits, who are collecting data about your viewing habits.
If what comes into your TV by a wire, and not an antenna, data can go out by the same wire
All Smart TVs here in Australia anyway, must connect to the internet if you want to view ALL stations, most also connect by TV antenna, and if you have subscribed (Foxtel here)by Sattelite too!
 
I buy my good old westerns from Amazon. Cut the cable 23 years ago. Don't have a smart/stupid TV so no problems.
 


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