Samba TV wrote that if you do this, its advertising platform will opt your Samba TV ad ID out of targeted advertising based on content viewing. If applicable, another way to limit spying is by enabling “Limit Ad Tracking” from the “Privacy” menu within the “Interactive TV Settings” on your smart TV. If you’re totally creeped out by Samba TV’s data collection and you do want to opt-out, here’s how.Īccording to Samba TV’s website, you can opt-out of its smart TV services anytime by finding the option in a TV’s “Settings” page or within the “Interactive TV Service” user interface.
SAMBA INTERACTIVE TV SETUP UPDATE
It’s no wonder that more than 90 percent of people choose to opt-in not realizing the amount of information they’re giving up to the company.Īre you watching TV or is it watching you? Can the new generation of smart TV’s be hacked? Listen to this free Komando Consumer Tech Update podcast and find out. The company’s terms of service exceed 6,500 words and the privacy policy is over 4,000 words! (Who actually reads these cryptic terms of service anyway?) The problem? The nitty-gritty details of its terms of service are only available online via browser or if you click through to another screen on your TV.Īlthough these documents do disclose their tracking practices, they are also long and difficult to understand. Connect your devices for exclusive content and special offers,” it states. Get recommendations based on the content you love. The opt-in sounds enticing enough – “Interact with your favorite shows. See, when a Samba TV-enabled TV is set up for the first time, consumers are encouraged to opt-in to the service and agree to its terms of service and privacy policy. Have you opted into Samba TV’s service without even realizing it? Advertisers can also add Samba TV tags to their websites to let them know how many people visit after watching one of their ads.
Instead, advertisers and marketing firms pay them to send targeted ads to other connected gadgets in a home.įor example, they can direct ads and recommendations to your smartphone after a client’s TV commercial plays. Samba TV itself doesn’t sell its tracking data directly. The company said that it has collected viewing data from 13.5 million smart TVs in the U.S.
SAMBA INTERACTIVE TV SETUP SOFTWARE
How widespread is Samba TV? According to the report, the company has struck deals with about a dozen popular TV makers to have its software placed on several models.īrands with Samba TV include Sony, Sharp, TCL, Element, Sanyo, Toshiba, Westinghouse, Seiki and Philips. It also “communicates with your devices, enabling personalized recommendations and unique second-screen experiences for compatible TVs and apps.” Samba TV describes itself as “a cutting-edge technology layer on your TV that understands what your TV is playing, regardless of the source.” This means aside from the ability to recognize and track content regardless of source, Samba TV can also create a “device map” of your home. Unlike other tracking methods, Samba TV’s software can virtually read the pixels displayed on your TV and identify the content that’s being shown.īut wait, there’s more! Samba TV’s system can also reach out to other devices in your home that are connected to the same network as the TV. Fewer wires, less clutter – smart TVs have undoubtedly changed the way many of us watch television.īut what price are we paying for this convenience? In return for that always-connected experience, are we allowing our smart TVs to spy on us too?ĭon’t look now but you won’t believe how these smart TVs are not just gobbling up your viewing data, they’re also gathering information about your home! Samba TV = Spying TVĪccording to a new report from The New York Times, Samba TV, one of the biggest TV content tracking services around, can quietly track essentially everything that appears on a TV screen on a second-to-second basis.Īnd I mean everything – broadcast TV, services like Netflix or Prime Video, streaming boxes and even video games. The idea does make a lot of sense as it combines the best parts of a set-top box, a computer and a television into one streamlined appliance. This is when your TV directly connects to the internet and lets you access your streaming services and apps without the need for another external gadget. Owning a smart TV is one of the convenient perks of our modern digital world.
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