Guess why I don't own a smart TV.
this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2026
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Well glad that I still have my good old dumb 1080p LCD and my HTPC.
I once tried to connect my Galaxy phone to my Samsung TV that is not connected to the local network. And the phone not only connected via bluetooth to share the video I was trying to project, it also silently passed my wifi credentials from the phone to the TV and connected itself to the internet.
Got rid of the Samsung phone soon after, and I won’t buy another Samsung TV either when this one dies.
Are there any hosts file/ublock type of lists that prevent this data from going out? I'd gladly throw that onto any device I can.
I can share the pihole domains I have for my samsung tv (although it's no longer connected to the internet now)
- ocfconnect-shard-eu[0-9]{2}-euwest1.samsungiotcloud.com (regex deny)
- ads.samsungads.com (exact deny)
- samsungacr.com (exact deny)
- samsungotn.net (exact deny)
- log-config.samsungacr.com (exact deny)
- gpm.samsungqbe.com (exact deny)
- config.samsungads.com (exact deny)
It stopped any ads coming through and also prevent (some) data going back to them, mind you this also breaks installing new apps on the tv, so disable, install app from their store, enable again.
Hope this helps
Better than nothing, but if the TV doesn't use DNS or connects to other networks or unsecured networks on its own, you're still hosed
These work for at least the 7 series, there were no more ads in the menu's.
That's a separate issue than the spyware though, the data collection on you could be going out a different route
Not my dumb tv from 2009, that's still kicking
Not my projector “flat” screen TV!
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This is why when i'm done watching TV, i would pull out the power plug from the electric socket.
Just put it on a power strip and turn that off. Just a little easier, I think. You're welcome.
It'll also save money on the electric bill because of the vampiric light in the power strip.
If it's online while on it's... an improvement I guess.
Oh the irony
What the fuck is with all this new jargon: pixels instead of tracking-pixels? Pixel technology! You mean loading of a image with a resolution of 1x1. What technology?
Just the next small step in obfuscating spyware: Removing a descriptive term to let it sound less harmful
Samsung Privacy. Download or Delete your data and opt out for all Samsung apps and Services.
My request is processing for the last 6 hours....
These 'options' fundamentally don't work. Even if they were in good-faith one of their partners will still collect and transmit data you've generated. The whole industry is built on a no-consent model: it's software; people can't see or hear what software is doing; keep it in the background. Any attempt to revoke consent in a no-consent industry is futile. What's not futile is taking control of your computers and not running their proprietary spyware software in the first place.
Yeah, this is more like a damage control or a lesson for the future for me.
Want to delete my data... log in to my account to do it... phone number required before allowing me access to delete my data 😑
I guess it goes the slow way too by sending them an email with your info and that you dont have any number or email access, requesting them to delete everything.
In EU they are obliged to respond and do it (don't know the timeframe), or you can sue.
I was actually able to use one of the temporary phone number services to get past it in the end and started the request.
It prompts you to accept all cookies, with no options. Ironic.
My browser get rid these popups in almost every site, so I cant confirm.
This article is utter bullshit normalizing this invasion of privacy by entertainment hardware vendors. "Everyone is doing it" is not a valid defense, it only shows that no one should be doing it and that the laws are too lax and not protecting people as they should.
Consumers normalized this decades ago when they started buying all this stuff despite the warnings. People have been selling our collective freedom for what amounts to toys.
To be fair, decades ago the hardware hasn't been doing these things, and people have been far more optimistic in general regarding the behavior of companies. Maybe it was bad that people (including me) kept warning our surroundings about the possible consequences - It for sure caused some type of warning fatigue and made us look paranoid. Saying "We told ya so" might be satisfying, but not very productive.
Louis Rossmann keeps saying that we are moving rapidly from a high-trust to a low-trust-society. If companies can change contracts, behavior and features regarding products arbitrarily with no recourse for the clients (except fucking forced arbitration ofc), there is no reason for costumers to believe that their issues and complaints are heard. The more trust deteriorates, the more often these things happen, there might be people applying violence instead of lawsuits. It is in the best interest of companies to don't fuck over their clients too long; If the laws do not protect people, people might decide that these laws do not bind them either.
The hardware has been collecting private data since atleast the internet got popular. I've lived through half a dozen momentary concerns over some data collection in yet another device, articles are written and people moan then they buy the product and give up a little more privacy. Its been an incremental increase up until we have microphones and cameras in our homes. Even those warranted a slight public disturbance before people quickly relented and bought them. The "I don't care if they know..." people helping fascism make it no longer a choice.
Given some of the decisions of the administration I'm concerned about what I can and can't trust. I'm supposed to believe Hegseth about war and RFK about health, the antivaxer? Not companies get less red tape, less safety and health standards and I gotta be concerned about which company do and don't make safe products. Its insane.
Ok, i was thinking more about the 80s and 90s when i said decades. And even at the turn of the century data collection still was limited to mostly diagnostic data and "always online" devices and software only really started getting traction later - i can remember the uproar when Simcity needed a permanent internet connection or when the xbox one required the same. But after that things went downhill real fast.
I would not trust any member of the current US admin further than i could throw them. They are fascists or opportunists who have no qualms working with fascists, and they are largely incompetent in their jobs too with very questionable world views (looking primarily at Trump, Hegseth, RFK and Patel here, but the rest of the bunch isn't much better). But they are only a symptom of the rot that has taken root in the US at least since the 60s.
The signs were there with Nixon getting off the hook and Reagans Contra affair having no repercussions for him. But there was no push to change anything substantially. I personally blame the civic religion the US has adopted; if you say state and religion are to be separate, but at the same time make the country itself a religion, changing anything basic becomes akin to blasphemy (or "communism" it this specific case.
And the people having no issue with bending the rules of course have no issue bending them when it comes to the relationship between companies and their costumers. The regulatory capture is insane in the US, and forced arbitration should be illegal in a country that believes in the rule of law. Contract law also should not allow one-sided changing of contracts regarding removal of features, privacy and cost structure - slapping a subscription fee on something that already has been sold without subscription should not be a thing at all, unless they also allow costumers to return the product for the full price they paid, and the privacy policy should be fixed in its essence (changing some minor wording is fine).
If you can't be sure that whatever you buy today will work the same way in a few weeks or that it won't just start selling your data because contracts can change whenever, then you also can't trust e-commerce at all, which is an essential way of doing business today - being able to buy something online and transferring money to an unknown party does not work in a low-trust society. The companies behaving that way are sawing on the branch they are sitting on because they don't give a shit about rules.
And we're staring down the barrel of a low trust society because the GOP is reshaping the economy in their image and they are the least trustworthy people in politics. Every corrupt thing they do undermines that trust, every institution they corrupt undermines that trust, every like they tell and regulation they repeal, every law they refuse to enforce, everything they do is low- trust. The longer they are in power, the worse it will get.
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Sigh... it never ends.
All people had to do was say no to "smart tvs" But "Android pretty" I'm not innocent because I have a Bluray player with apps, but it does require an Ethernet cord so that's helpful.
Oh that's all? Really? Have you tried to buy a "Not Smart" TV lately? Not exactly any options that are branded as TVs. I tried. I would have had to sacrifice quality and pay more for the privilege to buy a device intended to be used to display mostly static images as a menu board not be great at playing movies and high FPS video games. As a consumer, I was never really get a choice or a vote in this smart TV switchover decision.
Yeah I looked for dumb tvs, but my options were all either smart or expensive and designed for non TV uses, so I just prioritized one that doesn't need to connect to internet
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