[quantified]

The title and subject sound like they are about smart TVs, but the example problems sound like they are about streaming in general, which might be streamed from my cable box, or on my computer monitor. Are the streaming issues really limited to the smart TVs?

[ok_dad]

I think everything spies these days, I don’t know why the government is not just cutting all of that off with privacy laws. They’re attacking the heads but this stuff is like a hydra. Just pass a comprehensive law against data harvesting and pro-privacy.

[8jef]

Because governments are on it too, big time. It's not just about surveillance politics, or big businesses in some surveillance economy, or credit card purchase data leaked everywhere, or Echelon, or platforms spilling their (our) guts. It's about surveillance everything.

Because it's not an option if you're McKinsey, a data broker, a private security firm, or anyone contracting them. Data collection is an obligation, a requirement. They need to know about what's everyones up to, even if it's only through real time metadata.

Face recognition cameras everywhere, automatic photo radars, license plate readers at busy corners, everything going through apps in potentially always operating and recording pocket pcs we call smartphones, with potential trojans everywhere, in potentially everything. TV's are just one evocation of the disease, mainly directed at old folks, because nobody else cares about TVs and cable subscriptions anymore.

Anyone with just an once of understanding about how computer networking actually operates will actively put up all sorts of firewalls and air gaps around anything they own, because why not.

Anyone else, who shrugs at geek talk, is nothing but fair game, and will remain until someone suddenly pulls the rug from under them. Think massive actionable intelligence used against large parts of a population in a war, or a conscription, or a coup, or a full scale invasion, or whatever. Anything less will only be laughed at and dismissed.

You're offering a comprehensive law against that? That's not enough, far from it. Pass anything, I guaranty you the hydra will still be well and thriving anyway.

[quantum_state]

Would like to second this …

[autoexec]

The linked report has a lot to say specifically about smart TVs as well as specific streaming services and platforms. Smart TVs are a major part of the problem, but far from the only thing to be concerned about.

[add-sub-mul-div]

Right. It's no more acceptable for Amazon, Google, Apple, or Roku to have my data than the TV brand. But it's hard getting away from all of them.

[lotsofpulp]

I’m paying Apple to watch things, and sync them been my devices. I don’t see how Apple could not have “my data”.