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by fc417fc802 6 days ago
It very much is the case. Your own quote contradicts you. A smart tv is definitely a computer (one of the selling points is literally that it runs arbitrary apps) and LG is declaring that this "is not an intended use for LG smart TVs" and banning it.

There is certainly a conversation to be had regarding consumer protection laws, the nature of an appliance, and the trade-offs thereof but this is not that conversation and I don't think you engaged in good faith with the comment you replied to.

2 comments

I don't think a bunch of dodgy app vendors who put TVs in botnets is who you should be going to bat for.

Read it again: "LG Electronics is working with developers to remove the residential proxy option from their apps on the webOS platform"

It is working with developers it has a contractual relationship with, and has approved their apps for download from its "app store" -- this one: https://gb.lgappstv.com/main/tvapp

...where 42% seem to be ADDING THE TV TO A BOTNET.

LG TVs form a substantial botnet, and LG didn't appear to know or care.

This is not about a person using their own TV to add it to a botnet (WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?), it's about "app developers" knowing that LG is lax in checking what "apps" do, and putting out trojan horse apps that, if the TV user installs them, adds the TV to a botnet, without the TV owner's knowledge.

This is entirely orthogonal to "can I run my own choice of software on my LG TV?", which is not addressed in the article at all.

I have trouble believing LG "didn't appear to know" almost 50% of applications on their store were effectively spyware.

It takes one look at the App Store on these TV to know all these apps are sketchy...

This is an insane position. Nobody is intentionally using their TV as a tor exit node.