Your smart TV is watching you

Aida asked me to find and recommend for her a new TV to buy for her use with family at home. She requested that it must be smart (in tech) and large (in size). Obviously, most TVs today come with smart technology, ie, connected to the information superhighway (the Internet) and in many sizes to choose from. Aida then asked me whether it was safe, especially since some TVs come with in-built cameras too. The answer to her question is the focus of my article this week. Are you aware that your smart TV may be watching you as well?
So after a long working week and over the weekend, you decide to get some snacks, popcorn and drinks to chill and relax with your family in your living room. Catching up about life and school, making family plans, playing games and/or finding a nice movie to watch over the same weekend together. That is probably the typical lifestyle of the majority.
What you or they may not be aware of is that the smart TV you have in your living room may be watching you back. A scary joke or a scene from a horror movie? No, that is the unfortunate reality.
Unlike the past dumb TVs, today's TVs are smart. They have mini-computers inside of them. These mini-computers have network ports that allow them to connect to the internet. Like other smart devices, they are capable of listening (via microphones), tracking (via the sheer volume of apps) and even profiling us without us noticing.
Every brand comes with an operating system and the majority are Androids too (like your regular smartphones today). I shared articles in the past about how smartphones can spy on you. Well, the same applies to smart TVs too, except that they also can wander in your home and across every connected device inside your home network (via Wifi or network cable).
Did you notice that most smart TVs ask you to create a profile when you first unbox them, plug them into the power outlet, switch them on and connect them to the home network? Did you also notice that streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Shahid, YouTube, etc, know what kind of movies or shows you like? What about the ability to command your TV without a remote control but directly through your voice?
These all are possible thanks to the evolving TV technologies, yet truth be told, while you watch, these TVs also watch back, from the things you watch, say and the amount (duration) of time you spend using them too. Everything in the form of data is collected silently, stored and sent out of your TV, via network cables or airwaves, to the Internet.
That data is, of course, available for sale (read my past articles to learn more on this specific point). Companies pay a lot of money to know what you watch, for how long, what time you sleep, or what kind of ads you might click on. It may sound harmless.
Hackers see a big opportunity in the smart TV market, as many of these TVs remain unpatched and updated for a long time (if not forever). Unlike smartphones and laptops, which get frequent security updates, smart TVs aren’t built with the same level of protection. That makes them easier targets for cybercriminals looking for a back door into your home network. Once they’re in, it’s not just your TV at risk but everything else that is connected on your home network. What you should do is what I hope to share next week. Until then, stay safe, look and be good as the TV watches you back.