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Samsung Smart TVs Injected Ads Into Streamed Video

Posted by Soulskill on from the reasons-to-vote-your-TV-off-the-island dept.

mpicpp sends this news from CNET: Reports are emerging that Samsung smart TVs have begun inserting short advertisements directly into video streaming apps, with no influence from the third-party app providers. The news comes just days after Samsung made headlines for another incursion into users' lounge rooms, when it was revealed that its TV voice recognition software is capable of capturing personal information and transmitting it to third parties. ... The issue has been reported on the Plex streaming service — a brand of media player that allows users to stream their own video from a personal library or hard drive and push it to a smart TV. Samsung says this was not intentional, and that they've fixed it so the ads should no longer show up.

3 of 370 comments (clear)

  1. Re:"Not intentional". Right. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, don't buy LG -- they do the same thing as Samsung. In addition to forcibly displaying ads, they have other problems, too -- they invalidated my HDMI cables because they updated the protocol ports without asking leaving me to buy new equipment so they could 'enforce copyright laws'.

  2. Re:"Not intentional". Right. by msauve · · Score: 5, Informative
    Samsung Australia's statement is telling:

    This was a result of an error that occurred as part of a recent software update that was not intended for the Australian market.

    We can confirm that the issue has now been rectified and that there are currently no plans to introduce this type of advertising in Australia in the near future.

    Check the qualifiers. That behavior was intended, but for other markets. Samsung does have plans to introduce it to the Australian market, but in the long term.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  3. Re:"Not intentional". Right. by fafaforza · · Score: 5, Informative

    But if all tv makers do the same thing, you'll vote with your wallet by not having a tv at all. Other people (like me) only found out about LG reporting back to their servers what you're watching only after buying the TV, and unplugging ethernet was easier than taking the TV back.

    It's an invasion of privacy, no different than medical information or what you talk about with your lawyer, yet there are privacy protections there. It should be the same here.