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https://www.techdirt.com/2022/04/14/its-still-stupidly-ridiculously-difficult-to-buy-a-dumb-tv/
Historically, "smart" TVs aren't always particularly smart. They've routinely been shown to have lax security and privacy standards. They also routinely feature embedded OS systems that don't age well, aren't always well designed, don't perform particularly well over time, are slathered with ads, and are usually worse than most third-party game streaming devices or video game consoles.
Yet when if you go shopping for "dumb" televisions — as in just a high quality display with a bunch of HDMI ports and not much else, you're usually going to be out of luck. There are options, but guides on this front will usually shovel you toward computer monitors (too pricey at large sizes), or business-class displays (ditto).
[...] Of course it's challenging because TV manufacturers now make more money collecting and monetizing your personal data than they do selling the actual hardware. Last year Vizio noted it made $38.4 million in one quarter just from tracking and monetizing consumer viewing and usage data. It made $48.2 million on hardware (which also includes soundbars, and other products) in that same period.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by srobert on Sunday April 17 2022, @04:44PM (3 children)
"The 4th amendment is #4 in for a reason."
But the 4th only stops the government from snooping on you without a warrant. Nothing stops Google, Amazon, etc. from doing so, especially since you clicked on "I agree to the TOS". Didn't you read the Terms of Service? Why not? It's only 500 pages of lawyerly gibberish.
Orwell was only partially right. He was right that developing technologies would be used to spy on citizens. But he predicted the government would be doing all of the spying. Actually government is the only entity that can reign in the totalitarian reach of corporate power. But that can only happen if "We the People" consent to the government having the authority to do it. And "We the People" have been so deeply gaslighted by corporate propaganda that that's unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Now, go call your Congressman and tell him not to interfere with our unlimited power to serve your interest or else.
Meanwhile, when you agree to the Terms of Service, your abuse is entirely consensual.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday April 17 2022, @05:27PM
I would like to lead a campaign to make "TOS" officially, legally, worthless in all jurisdictions - and broadly advertise that result.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Monday April 18 2022, @03:09AM
Being the US has become a corporatocracy, seems like Google, Amazon, Apple, MS, Meta, etc., pretty much are the government.
(Score: 2) by MIRV888 on Monday April 18 2022, @09:24PM
Absolutely. We hand over freely what the government would need a warrant to take.