14 DAY TRIAL // In addition to unveiling new devices, Samsung used the CES show this week to introduce new software as well, and one of the most important releases concerns a privacy app aimed at the company’s smart TVs.
Called Privacy Choices, the new app is specifically supposed to put users in control of their data, allowing them to see what information is collected and easily opt out if they want.
Smart TVs are getting new capabilities with every new generation, and the addition of built-in cameras, microphones, and advanced sensors led to concerns that these devices could eventually be used to spy on users.
Privacy Choices is an application that was developed to deal with these concerns, as users can always see what data their TVs are collecting from one straightforward UI. Advanced controls, such as editing permissions and opting out of data collection, are also available.
Privacy worries
Samsung is no stranger to claims of privacy violations powered by smart TVs.
Back in 2015, the South Korean company was accused of using voice recognition hardware on its smart TVs to monitor living room conversations.
In an updated version of the privacy policy, Samsung explained that some so-called “interactive voice commands” may indeed be transmitted to third-party service providers, along with other information such as device identifiers.
“Samsung may collect and your device may capture voice commands and associated texts so that we can provide you with Voice Recognition features and evaluate and improve the features. Samsung will collect your interactive voice commands only when you make a specific search request to the Smart TV by clicking the activation button either on the remote control or on your screen and speaking into the microphone on the remote control,” Samsung said.
Thanks to Privacy Choices, Samsung users can now see all the collected data and opt out if they don’t agree with it.