Unexpected Ads with Smart TVs

[Verdinut]

Smart TVs are back in the news due to the potential pitfalls of embedded advertising. It may come as a surprise to some, but these devices aren’t particularly new. As far back as 2013, security researchers were already exploring the issues related to internet connected televisions in a home environment.

In 2016, an LG brand TV was sending a variety of information related to files and viewing habits despite telling it not to. Even then, we can see similar tactics used to block ads on home video game consoles, and desktop PCs. It’s all about blocklists, and domains shut down at the router.

Yes, it’s cool that you can control your TV with your voice and use hand gestures to change the channel. However, advertising built into the fabric of a TV is something people don’t pay much attention to. You can try and block these ads in increasingly sophisticated ways. Realistically though, most folks aren’t rushing to spin up a Pi-hole. And hey, why should they? This is the kind of problem solved by a “No, I don’t want that but thanks anyway” button. Unfortunately, those buttons appear to be in short supply.

Has anyone experienced such issues?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

not surprising to me:

Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs

Vizio’s business model doesn’t end once you buy a 4K TV.

www.theverge.com

Simple solution - don't connect your smart tv to the internet. Use media client instead

 

[lovinthehd]

Don't connect my Smart TVs to the internet myself. Plus they're just old enough not to have mics to talk to them. It's the Amazon Fire Sticks I'm not sure about even though I don't use the Alexa part....at least they keep telling me something is wrong since I don't use Alexa.

They all apparently get plenty of feedback from my internet browsing on computer/phone/tablet....even if I try and clear cookies each session and that sort of thing.

The consumer data feedback is the devil in the details so to speak but has been around for a long time to an extent in various devices....we're just consumer cattle!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Unfortunately, cleaning cookies is akin to putting out fire after the barn burns down. Amazon and Google are guilty of vacuuming any possible usage data out of their devices. Sometimes It bothers me, and sometimes I just give up on worrying about it. It's nearly impossible to engineer a 100% privacy-proof solution these days, and fewer and fewer people are interested in stand-alone Kodi builds and more switching to the convenience of streaming servers like Plex and Emby, which I highly suspect both sell usage data. C'mon if real-time location data from our cellphones isn't sacred, then selling usage metadata from these media servers is, of course, isn't a big deal, right?
Thanks to our previous "government", both laws meant to regulate internet privacy and neutrality were shut down, leaving us back in the wild-west of complete lack of any meaningful privacy regulation, leaving us in a situation where such obviously bad behavior isn't illegal.

Verizon overrides users’ opt-out preferences in push to collect browsing history

Verizon renamed scanning program and enrolled customers who previously opted out.

arstechnica.com

T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T still selling your location data, report says

Phone location data is sold on black market, Motherboard investigation finds.

arstechnica.com

T-Mobile will sell your web-usage data to advertisers unless you opt out

Data sales begin April 26 unless you opt out; T-Mobile claims it’ll be anonymous.

arstechnica.com

One company wants to sell the feds location data from every car on Earth

Federal agencies already buy tons of user data; one vendor is now being sued.

arstechnica.com

Life360 makes millions selling location data, and it’s about to buy Tile

Who owns your data, and what are they doing with it?

www.theverge.com

 

[j_garcia]

The worst part about TVs is not just that the manufacturers have no problem using your data, it is that those devices lack almost 100% of any form of security since the apps are all garbage. I connect my TV to get firmware updates then disconnect it.

California has the Privacy Act, however I guarantee the chances of you 1) being able to know if your data was used wrongly is about impossible, and 2) chances of you successfully doing anything about it is zero.

 

[panteragstk]

Smart TVs are back in the news due to the potential pitfalls of embedded advertising. It may come as a surprise to some, but these devices aren’t particularly new. As far back as 2013, security researchers were already exploring the issues related to internet connected televisions in a home environment.

In 2016, an LG brand TV was sending a variety of information related to files and viewing habits despite telling it not to. Even then, we can see similar tactics used to block ads on home video game consoles, and desktop PCs. It’s all about blocklists, and domains shut down at the router.

Yes, it’s cool that you can control your TV with your voice and use hand gestures to change the channel. However, advertising built into the fabric of a TV is something people don’t pay much attention to. You can try and block these ads in increasingly sophisticated ways. Realistically though, most folks aren’t rushing to spin up a Pi-hole. And hey, why should they? This is the kind of problem solved by a “No, I don’t want that but thanks anyway” button. Unfortunately, those buttons appear to be in short supply.

Has anyone experienced such issues?

Yep, google added ads to the shield TV interface, but it's only ads for movies/tv shows. I still block them with my Pi-hole though. No ads are welcome in my house.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

not surprising to me:

Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs

Vizio’s business model doesn’t end once you buy a 4K TV.

www.theverge.com

Simple solution - don't connect your smart tv to the internet. Use media client instead

It really is that simple! Sheesh!

The last time I saw that someone had connected our TV to wifi, I deleted all networks and then took the batteries out of the remote. Yes, my stepkids are so lazy that they won’t hunt down batteries. Whatever works.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Yep, google added ads to the shield TV interface, but it's only ads for movies/tv shows. I still block them with my Pi-hole though. No ads are welcome in my house.

I've had Pi-Hole for several years, I guess this is why I never noticed ads on my shield-tv

 

[panteragstk]

I've had Pi-Hole for several years, I guess this is why I never noticed ads on my shield-tv

I had to block one specific URL, then clear launcher cache, but that's how much effort that took.

Pi-hole is a great network appliance, if it doesn't inadvertently block something I don't want blocked. Luckily that doesn't happen often and is easily fixed.

 

[highfigh]

This is one of the main reasons I want TVs to be TVs, not smart devices.

 

[Verdinut]

This is one of the main reasons I want TVs to be TVs, not smart devices.

It's unfortunate and I have trouble understanding why monitors are more expensive than smart TVs. If I was in the market for a display, I would opt for the monitor if the price was reasonable. Fu**k the smart TV with all its unexpected problems (Arc, unexpected ads and personal info sales).

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

It's unfortunate and I have trouble understanding why monitors are more expensive than smart TVs.

Color calibration, high-quality components, well documented serial control. Unlike TVs, these would go into board rooms, medical offices, and video production houses. These monitors are meant to be used 24/7/365 for many years.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Color calibration, high-quality components, well documented serial control. Unlike TVs, these would go into board rooms, medical offices, and video production houses. These monitors are meant to be used 24/7/365 for many years.

And typically higher resolutions and refresh rates.

 

[panteragstk]

It's unfortunate and I have trouble understanding why monitors are more expensive than smart TVs. If I was in the market for a display, I would opt for the monitor if the price was reasonable. Fu**k the smart TV with all its unexpected problems (Arc, unexpected ads and personal info sales).

Demand for monitors is low. Demand for smart TVs is high.

That's it.

 

[davidscott]

Same issues with the smart sticks? I have 3 amazon sticks and haven't noticed this problem.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thinking now the better title with the thread is Expected Ads with Smart TVs (Devices)

 

[panteragstk]

Same issues with the smart sticks? I have 3 amazon sticks and haven't noticed this problem.

To be fair...

The Fire interface on my device when I had was pretty much entirely ads. They were mostly for amazon video and the services amazon supports, but it was a lot.

If you use all of them, then they're not really ads so much as just showing you what's on the services you use. If you don't use them, it's pretty annoying. Same with Android TV.