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Vizio Settles With FTC, Will Pay $2.2 Million and Delete User Data (venturebeat.com)
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that smart TV maker Vizio has agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a case involving the TVs' data collection techniques. From a report on VentureBeat: Vizio allegedly collected data on what people viewed on 11 million of its TVs and then shared the data with third parties, without informing people about the data collection or receiving consent. As part of the settlement with the FTC and the New Jersey Attorney General, Vizio must also delete data that it collected prior to March 1, 2016, and implement a data privacy program that is to be evaluated twice a year, according to a statement. The commission voted 3-0 in favor of the ruling, according to the statement.
If you think they are really going to "delete" the data, I have a bridge to sell you... It's been sold/rented/spindled/mutilated several times by now...
Just don't connect it to your router. Problem solved.
No. That does NOT solve the "problem". I don't particularly care if anyone sees my viewing habits, because the worst that could happen is that they die of boredom. What I care about is living in a pervasive surveillance state, where no one can be assured of privacy in any aspect of their lives. A solution that only works for the tiny minority that are diligent and informed does not solve that problem.