Beware the eye behind the eye!
When they’re not busy trying to overturn the 2016 election, the FBI occasionally likes to try its hand at protecting us from other criminals.
So the FBI is warning consumers that the shiny new “smart TV” they buy will very likely wind up spying on them (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF5heG1pi90). Well, we’ve told you to steer clear of anything that’s pitched to you as “smart,” haven’t we?
According to the FBI, TV manufacturers and app developers can use built-in cameras to spy on consumers. Why would they want to do that? Probably so they can sell information about you to advertisers. Hackers can also get into the system and use your TV to spy on you. And they’ll do worse than sell you to advertisers.
Says the FBI,. “At the low end of the risk spectrum, they can change channels, play with the volume, and show your kids inappropriate videos. In a worst-case scenario, they can turn on your bedroom’s TV camera and microphone and silently cyberstalk you.”
Among suggested means of protecting yourself is to stick a piece of black tape over the camera eye. I do like those low-tech solutions to hi-tech problems.
Ultimately, just because it’s the kind of thing that always happens, this technology will be used by power-hungry sharks in government to find out whether you’ve been naughty or nice. It’ll be very helpful to them in carrying out a “fundamental transformation” of America.
A small price to pay for Entertainment, though…