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Cybersecurity bounty hunter says Samsung TVs use AI to record audio and screenshots for ads
(www.tomshardware.com)
this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2026
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Privacy
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Never connect your proprietary appliances to the internet. A TV is just a display, use another device to manage what it displays.
And also do your best to not live near unsecured wifi.
Just because you didn't explicitly connect it...
RIP anybody in a NYC or Tokyo high rise with a few thousand neighbors in wifi range.
Or anyone that gets deliveries. Some vehicles have open wifi networks.
Is there any reason to think separate steaming boxes behave better?
I am pretty sure my Debian box that runs Kodi has fewer trackers than my TV.
I'm sure your experience using a remote to watch various streaming services and cable tv and pirated shows is all just totally simple and just works and the average person wouldn't have an issue using it though, right? This is the crux of the issue.
Actually yes. Requested through Seerr, added automatically to Jellyfin, streamed to the Kodi box. Simpler interface than Netflix. Setting it up is though not simple, but if a toddler has learned to use the TV remote they'd be able to use it. And there's about 30TB of content already so Seerr is rarely needed.
For context I'm spreads doing this I run Plex and jellyfin in tandem, but many times I'd rather not host the content if it's already on my streaming services. Good luck having a good experience with those on these types of setups. That's my gripe.
I got my setup because the experience on streaming services sucked but I get it if you still use those. In that case an Android box is the closest you'd get without compromising on ease of use (just don't buy the no-name ones from AliExpress).
My kodi box, running librelec not debian, works with a remote and is just as easy to use as a Roku or whatever. Kids, old people, and all ages in between have used it with zero coaching.
I've done it, what am I missing? What remote are you using? How are you watching Netflix and Disney+ with that setup?
I'll pm you some questions. Answer them and I can point you in the right direction.
Everyone has access to a wireless keyboard, most devices give you a code to input to pair, no passwords. It's easier than you think putting kodi on a firestick. I haven't done it in a few years, but my Plex works great and it's cathartic building my own library. Stremio is my backup and isnt any harder than navigating netflix.
Chill Winston.
New firesticks run a proprietary OS, no longer Android :(
Yes.
There is a lower volume of extraneous calls to advertising networks from an appletv box than from a Samsung or lg tv. Users see a lower volume of what they recognize as targeted ads (you gotta think about the confirmation bias here). The devices themselves can decode more complex stream types because they are spending less processing power taking screenshots and running image recognition models on them. A tv from a major manufacturer tends to cost more if it’s the “dumb” or digital signage variant, whereas a streaming box (that’s not like roku or whatever the bottom of the barrel option is) costs $100+.