Smart TVs and IoT devices secretly transmit user data

Big Brother is nothing short of a scam. Millions of smart TVs, as well as Wi-Fi speakers and cameras, are collecting user data and, without their knowledge, transmitting it to digital giants like Google, Amazon, and Netflix. The scandal was sparked by two large-scale investigations, which the Financial Times covers in its online edition. The first analysis, conducted jointly by Northeastern University and Imperial College London, found that several Samsung and LG smart TVs, as well as digital TV sticks from Rockchip and Amazon (Fire TV), are sending data such as the viewer's IP address and location to Netflix and advertisers. Furthermore, according to the study, audio devices and cameras connected via Wi-Fi and IoT (Internet of Things) systems are also silently collecting and transmitting data. These data are also sent to dozens of companies, including Spotify and Microsoft. Another analysis, conducted by Princeton University, also highlighted the sending of data from the aforementioned TV sticks to third parties, including Google. The first study found that the data allows the companies receiving it to know which device users are using, where they are located, and even when they are interacting with the system. This allows third parties to determine when a user is at home and when they are away. All of this was also sent encrypted. Thus, it was also difficult for the researchers who conducted the analysis to reconstruct what information was actually being transmitted, the British newspaper notes.