Smart TV is easily hacked: someone watching you while watching TV
According to a recent survey by the U.S. Consumer Reports, smart TVs installed in consumer homes are vulnerable to hacking and manipulation, tracking their daily viewing habits without the user’s knowledge.
The nonprofit consumer product testing organization examined the top five smart TVs on the market and found that just a hacker can remotely control several of those smart TVs, such as adjusting the volume to its maximum, Turn off the TV’s Wi-Fi network, quickly change channels or let the TV play annoying content.
These security vulnerabilities exist in Samsung, TCL and other smart TVs that use the Roku TV platform, such as Phillips, RCA, Insignia, and Sharp, and Roku’s own streaming media player has not been spared. The test found that these smart TVs are also constantly tracking the user’s viewing content and can be fed back to the TV manufacturer or its business partners, with the help of a technology called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR).
ACR helps TV recommend TV shows that you may like, but it can also be used to recommend ads to your family. These data can also be combined with your other personal information to build your behavioral habits of the information and be sold to other marketers. Justin Brookman, head of privacy and technology at the Consumer Association, said: “For years, consumers have been tracking their behavior when using the internet or their smartphones, but I do not think anyone noticed that their TV was Track their behavior.”
During the initial setup, Smart TV will ask the user to allow them to collect the user’s viewing data, but also warn them that they may not be able to enjoy some features if they refuse. Conscious or impatient consumers may skip settings, read or understand what they allow.
Image: bbystaticA spokesman for Samsung Electronics said in a mail statement: “Many of our smart TV features combine the security of data with the user experience.We always ask for them before we collect any data from consumers. And we make every effort to ensure that these data are handled with care.”
Roku said in a statement that the Consumer Reports organization’s report is misleading and that there is no security risk. The statement said consumers can turn off remote control features with the help of settings. Gary Ellison, Roku’s vice president, said in a statement: “We take the security of our platform and the privacy of our users very seriously.”
A TCL spokesman agrees with Roku’s statement and claims: “Consumer privacy and security have always been our top priority.” The Consumer Reporting Group recommends that smart TV users who want to protect their privacy should check the instructions for use Return the TV to the factory settings and set it up again, and be careful not to let the TV collect its own viewing data.
Source: consumerreports
