Smart TV Sneaky Tactics

Deliverance XXV

Seems nothing connected to a network is safe these days. We all know that if it is possible companies will abuse this technology to help further their revenue, but sometimes they overstep the line of privacy. We can of course all assume that most technology tracks the consumer but to what extent depends on their intent and method of delivery.

A guy who was wondering about how targeted ads were being displayed to him on his TV decided to investigate more and found that his LG Smart TV was sending back more information than viewing history. He wrote to them and the reply inferred that he should have read the T&Cs before purchase.

Apparently, the TV was sending back unencrypted data on devices connected to the TV such as USB sticks and their contents, along with his viewing history and more. There is a setting on the TV which disabled this practice but after he sniffed the traffic he found that the information was still being sent but with a variable changed from 1 to 0. This setting on the TV was defaulted to send information. If the traffic was encrypted then we would probably never know.

His blog post (plus interesting comments section): http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html#comment-form

Reported on BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25018225

bonzodog2

With a suitable router, you could block gb.ibis.lgappstv.com

[edit]I don't know if this might affect legitimate 'smart' features. Also they might use a different server in different regions.

ondafly

I was about to post this link as well - I'm certainly not surprised its happening, but its typical now of the information gathering we see going on with devices. Information is power, and its become currency as well.

If I get time over the next while, I might try and do a packet capture with my Samsung TV and see if its doing similar.

Khannie

ondafly wrote: »

If I get time over the next while, I might try and do a packet capture with my Samsung TV and see if its doing similar.

Please do. Would be very interested. I haven't invested in a Smart TV yet myself (I have a HTPC that does all I need) but I certainly don't want to be tracked like that when I eventually do.

[-0-]

I'm very interested to see what my Roku 2xs box is transmitting. I'll set up some captures this weekend.

Dude111

Khannie wrote:

I haven't invested in a Smart TV yet myself

Good Khannie dont!!

Keep your privacy!!

zg3409

The model number he is using is 42LN575V-ZE

In the comments section someone mentions contacting the Irish data protection commissioner.

Blocking the traffic is not the real problem. It's the 99% of people who will not even be aware what is happening, and even if they attempt to opt out, it continues to send the info. What LG don't seem to realise is that people do not want this technology, and it won't help their sales.

If I had a SMART LG TV I would bring it back and get a refund. Only by doing this will the companies be made to listen to their customers.

The new UPC horizon also seems to do similar tracking of viewing habbits. I don't even know if there is a tick box, I assume not.

Hotblack Desiato

Disgraceful how LG gave him the brush-off until it got publicised in tech websites and more traditional media. There is absolutely no excuse for this (what they did, or their dismissive treatment of its revelation until they got sufficiently embarrassed.)

Looks like they were totally unaware (or just didn't care) about the data protection implications of what they were doing. Especially as the opt-out option did nothing of the sort :rolleyes:

Nobody wants their TV viewing to be tracked, especially not to serve them up ads on the damn menu screen of the TV they paid for with good money. You could figure out a lot of sensitive information from looking at this unencrypted data spew, e.g. do they look at religious channels? do they look at adult channels? what times of the day and days of the week are they at home? what are the filenames of what they're watching on USB or media server?

Deliverance XXV

LG have issued an apology and a promise to patch the setting which transmitted data against user wishes. Sad to say that this was only becoming because of public/media backlash. Even sadder to say that it was unlikely that this would have been spotted if they had encrypted their traffic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25042563#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

LG has admitted it continued collecting data on viewing habits even after users had activated a privacy setting designed to prevent it.

The television maker has apologised to its customers and told the BBC it would issue an update to correct the problem.

Since the issue became public it has emerged that Sony's PlayStation also collects data from every Blu-ray disc that is played.

Samsung, the world's largest TV maker, is yet to respond to questions about its operations.

gctest50

not the sort of crew you'd want snooping your USB drives if you had work stuff on it

lol @ LG shares available :


LG Corporation

Server Comment

---

---

MY-PC zXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
RNP88XXXXXXXXXX
LG...


Sharename Type Comment

---

----

---

cdrom Disk CD-ROM device
AS_16XXXXXXXXXX Disk GUEST Disk volume1_public Disk volume2_public Disk KXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
T_XXXXXXXX Disk SurXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Disk

....................................................................................................................................................

LG Corporation

Anonymous login successful

Sharename Type Comment

---

----

---

service$ Disk Default Service Folder
volume1_public Disk Default folder of volume1_public

mac Disk volume2_public Disk Default folder of volume2_public
Anonymous login successful

Dude111

Deliverance XXV wrote:

LG have issued an apology and a promise to patch the setting which transmitted data against user wishes.

Anyone that blindly believes they will IS INSANE!!

Khannie

Dude111 wrote: »

Anyone that blindly believes they will IS INSANE!!

I'm sure lots of people will be carrying out traffic analysis. It would be very embarrassing for them not to fix this and then get caught.

Dude111

Ya maybe buddy.......

Rucking_Fetard

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