Interesting press release from the FBI field office in Portland -- Oregon FBI Tech Tuesday: Securing Smart TVs. It reads like a blog post, but it contains some useful tips on how to prevent our TV sets from spying on us. The bullet points:
Know exactly what features your TV has and how to control those features. Do a basic Internet search with your model number and the words “microphone,” “camera,” and “privacy.”
Don’t depend on the default security settings. Change passwords if you can – and know how to turn off the microphones, cameras, and collection of personal information if possible. If you can’t turn them off, consider whether you are willing to take the risk of buying that model or using that service.
If you can’t turn off a camera but want to, a simple piece of black tape over the camera eye is a back-to-basics option.
Check the manufacturer’s ability to update your device with security patches. Can they do this? Have they done it in the past?
Check the privacy policy for the TV manufacturer and the streaming services you use. Confirm what data they collect, how they store that data, and what they do with it.
Maybe painting an eyeball over the camera eye would serve as a reminder of who's watching whom.
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1:49 PM 11/29/2019
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