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All Samsung TVs have remote disabling functionality built in, company reveals


Coss
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Am I the only one thinking, "This will all go very wrong, for the consumer..."

What if the supplier, sells all the TVs in a shipment and doesn't pay Samsung? Does the customer have a non working TV?

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/all-samsung-tvs-have-remote-disabling-functionality-built-in-company-reveals/ar-AANI24f?ocid=BingNews

"The company said it had activated 'TV Block' on all television sets looted from the Cato Ridge distribution centre in KwaZulu-Natal since July 11, 2021. 

The ability to remotely stop television sets functioning had not been widely reported until now - and it's being called "disconcerting" for consumers.

"TV Block is a remote, security solution that detects if Samsung TV units have been unduly activated, and ensures that the television sets can only be used by the rightful owners with a valid proof of purchase," the Samsung South Africa website reported.

"The aim of the technology is to mitigate against the creation of secondary markets linked to the sale of illegal goods, both in South Africa and beyond its borders.

"This technology is already pre-loaded on all Samsung TV products."

The blocking system comes into effect when the television is connected to the internet, the company said. 

Once connected for activation, the serial number is checked by the Samsung server and if found to be stolen all television functions are disabled."

- Stolen, ownership disputed in Divorce, customer not upgrading the software 'cause they don't want the new model, oh dear the list goes on...

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Yes, but I come from a time when men were men and women were glad, and if you bought something, it was yours forever, and had better work as intended.

God protect them, if they ever work out, how to turn off an axe.

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If I am reading the article correctly the “disable” can only be carried out during the authentication/activation process, once authenticated then disable function is inactive

Once connected for activation, the serial number is checked by the Samsung server and if found to be stolen all television functions are disabled.

If I a, wrong maybe Samsung should change it to be such.

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It's not whether or not you are wrong, it's that they can disable at will, having hidden software with back doors is allowing them to do things with or to the TV that the marketing people will tell you is 'only during initial activation'.

Where as really, they can listen, look and turn it off or on, as they please. Once it's got an IP address and is communicating with their servers, the doors are open.

Same same with phones, smart watches and fridges

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What proof do you have that the disable function is active once the device is activated, Samsung clearly stated

Once connected for activation, the serial number is checked by the Samsung server and if found to be stolen all television functions are disabled.
 

and not 
 

Every time connected for activation, the serial number is checked by the Samsung server and if found to be stolen all television functions are disabled.

I think you are reading too much into this.

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No, please read the following carefully.

What I am saying is that the computer inside the TV, is able to be accessed from the internet. What Samsung do with that, is according to their public facing marketing, turn it off, if it's found to be stolen, at 1st activation.

The fact that it can be activated over the net, implies communication from the device to the company's servers.

This is what happens with smart phones and computers running Apple OSes and also the Windows and Android equivalents. 

1 Apple can, look at your photos on your smart phone, to check them out for child porn (see google for the stories)

2 Apple and Windows (and I assume Android/Google) now download and install important system files, such as virus and malware definitions et al, without asking the user. Though they don't hide the practise, they just don't tell you in each instance where it happens. See the attached image for the Apple Catalina preferences for software update, below. I know Windows does this too.

3 Siri in Apple (and Cortana in Windows) records the sound it hears so as to allow the AI and Machine learning etc to improve the service. And it works, I reckon Siri has got to a point where anything I say to it, is understood.

So all of the above, shows that these Tech giants are interacting with the user, often without the user's knowledge. To suggest that Samsung, would not, also do this, is risible. 

Again, they can listen, look and turn it off or on, as they please. They may not be doing this, but they can.

 

1790282836_ScreenShot2021-08-27at2_11_36PM.png.b7d55738e58479470ac08ecdd2fefaf4.png

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34 minutes ago, Coss said:

Again, they can listen, look and turn it off or on, as they please. They may not be doing this, but they can.

So you are concerned about what they are capable of rather than what they are actually doing.

On that basis every woman in the world should be scared of Coss since he has a penis (assumption) therefore is capable of rape. Not inferring he is a rapist, but has the capacity to carry out such.

Maybe I should be arrested for potential terrorism since I have to capacity to override safety systems,and drive the process unstable on process plants and make them explode. Everyone is capable of something.

Having the capacity alone is not illegal, threatening to use ones capabilities or actually using them is. So, Coss, the potential rapist living his day to day life is not committing any crime but if he says “I am going to rape you” he is, much like Mekong with his knowledge is harmless unless I make a threat “I am going to blow your plant up” 

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Hi,

To add some fuel to the fire :)

I'd trust the 2 of you more to not rape women / blow up plants than I'd trust a big corporation to 'do the right thing'.

Sanuk!

PS For what it is worth, I'm not too worried about Samsung accessing my TV. And yes, I know they do this because I get the occasional firmware update. Apple scanning photos on a phone is a lot more worrying though.
 

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KS,

Apple are not “Scanning Photos on Phone” they are scanning Photos stored on iCloud in accordance with the terms and conditions of iCloud

https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/

 Namely Section V Content and Your Conduct

C Removal of Content

You acknowledge that Apple is not responsible or liable in any way for any Content provided by others and has no duty to screen such Content. However, Apple reserves the right at all times to determine whether Content is appropriate and in compliance with this Agreement, and may screen, move, refuse, modify and/or remove Content at any time, without prior notice and in its sole discretion, if such Content is found to be in violation of this Agreement or is otherwise objectionable.

E Access to your Account and Content

Apple reserves the right to take steps Apple believes are reasonably necessary or appropriate to enforce and/or verify compliance with any part of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that Apple may, without liability to you, access, use, preserve and/or disclose your Account information and Content to law enforcement authorities, government officials, and/or a third party, 

Now I realise that most people just click “accept” and never read the T&C’s, but this is what they are buying into. If people do t like it, use another Cloud provider, no one is forcing the to use Apple. Personally I prefer to use Dropbox

So, the scanning of Photos, and other content on iCloud is not new, the automated scanning is, the same scanning used by Facebook, Twitter,Reddit, and many others. Just because Apple decide to use it, it becomes intrusive because everybody has a hard on for big bad Apple, furthermore this technology will only be used on US-Based users

 

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