A report released by the Federal Burea of Investigation has revealed that the Smart TVs in our homes can be a gateway for fraudulent hackers. The report suggests that the hackers can use the SmartTVs connected to the internet to have access to our information and can even sneak into our homes with the help of the microphone and camera attached to the smart TVs.
Smart TVs can let someone hack your Privacy
As technology has advanced, the latest Smart TVs are no longer mere broadcasting devices, but they are more interactive.
Smart TVs these days have multimedia features like microphones for voice assistants and cameras to play interactive features. Some of the more advanced TVs even use facial recognition to identify your profile to log you into applications. There are also Video Chatting features available in some high-end TVs. With the capabilities of streaming multiple apps and accessing internet search engines, Smart TVs have made TV viewing multidimensional.
Smart TVs can be Risky
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However, the benefits come along with potential hazards as now the developers of the apps which we install on our TVs can collect our data. As per the FBI, the TV manufacturers and app developers can even listen to our conversations and view us inside our homes. It also means that hackers can hack our TV’s and come into our homes.
Steps Suggested By FBI to Avoid Potential Hack of Smart TV
- Make sure that you are aware of the features of the TV, and you have control of the features. If your TV has a Camera, Microphone and other features, then you should know how to turn them off when not in use. In case you have any doubts, you can use the internet search with your TV model number to identify the features.
- Always Change passwords to the various accounts you use to login to different apps on the TV.
- Make sure that your accounts logged in from the Smart TV do not have your sensitive private information.
- If your TV has a camera and you cannot turn it off, make sure you cover it with black tape when not using camera features on the TV.
- Check whether the manufacturers have provided any security updates to the smart TV software. Make sure to update if its there.
Always Check terms and Conditions, Features Before Buying Smart TV and Installing Apps
You should also check the terms and conditions of the streaming service you use when subscribing. There should be clarity on how much data the company collects and how the data is used.