Samsung’s Smart TVs might not be spying on you after all

Yesterday we reported that a reddit user had discovered an unsettling tidbit in Samsung’s Smart TV privacy policy that basically said that the device is always listening to what you say and records it all. Digital Trends managed to get a hold of the company to discuss the concerns that people had and Samsung was able to clear up some of the misunderstandings. 

The Internet greeted me this Monday morning with a barrage of shocking headlines. “Be careful what you say around your Samsung Smart TV,” “Samsung Smart TVs record your personal conversations” and, my personal favorite, “The spy in your living room.” These days, I expect click-bait headlines, but this business about an army of eavesdropping TVs is flat-out irresponsible reporting, loosely rooted in ignorance and imagination. Before you waterboard your TV in an attempt to extract the secrets it has learned about you, allow us to explain exactly how these TVs work, and why they aren’t the emissaries of evil they’re being made out to be.