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Samsung: Smart TV Could Be Picking Up Everything You Say

Samsung’s privacy policy for their smart TV includes some disturbing fine print—that the TV’s voice command technology could be collecting anything it hears you say, and passing that information on to the third party responsible for transcribing voice commands. The policy warns customers to refrain from discussing private or...

Samsung’s privacy policy for their smart TV includes some disturbing fine print—that the TV’s voice command technology could be collecting anything it hears you say, and passing that information on to the third party responsible for transcribing voice commands.

The policy warns customers to refrain from discussing private or sensitive information around their devices. According to ABC News, Samsung does not retain or sell the data, and it is easy to disable the voice recognition setting.

Many people are still upset about this seeming breach in trust, however. Epic Consumer Protection Counsel Julia Horwitz points out that Samsung could implement privacy-enhancing technology to minimize the amount of data collected.

Horwitz says, “Companies that don’t know what use they are going to put to data they collect should not be over collecting in this way.”  

Should Samsung be allowed to collect this amount of data? What can be done to minimize or eliminate security risks associated with accidental personal information collection? Comment below.

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