Vizio smart televisions watch YOU
If you are going to buy a smart television, don’t buy one by Vizio, as they by default track your viewing and provide the information to advertisers.
The feature, “Smart Interactivity,” is already turned on as a default setting for millions of people who have purchased the device. Viewers are able to turn off the setting, that is, if they know it even exists. “Non-personal identifiable information may be shared with select partners… to permit these companies to make, for example, better-informed decisions regarding content production, programming and advertising,” Vizio said in a statement.
Vizio seems to be taking a new approach by tracking viewers by default, while competitors like San Jose-based Samsung or LG Electronics leave it to customers to turn the setting on. Vizio’s sharing with advertisers also reportedly lets them target devices like your phone, which other companies do not.
Somehow this seems to be a direct violation of privacy, which also might be quite illegal.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
If you are going to buy a smart television, don’t buy one by Vizio, as they by default track your viewing and provide the information to advertisers.
The feature, “Smart Interactivity,” is already turned on as a default setting for millions of people who have purchased the device. Viewers are able to turn off the setting, that is, if they know it even exists. “Non-personal identifiable information may be shared with select partners… to permit these companies to make, for example, better-informed decisions regarding content production, programming and advertising,” Vizio said in a statement.
Vizio seems to be taking a new approach by tracking viewers by default, while competitors like San Jose-based Samsung or LG Electronics leave it to customers to turn the setting on. Vizio’s sharing with advertisers also reportedly lets them target devices like your phone, which other companies do not.
Somehow this seems to be a direct violation of privacy, which also might be quite illegal.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Obama’s legacy?
Children (with the direction of well trained and well placed handlers) playing with community organizing, eventually the resulting racism and biases will be revealed. This is fundamental change.
This is nothing new and its not limited to Vizio. Its been going on in different forms even before Google collected and shared your data. Its happening now in most of your smart phone and tablet applications (including your email, social media and browsing habits), in the web connected “smart” product you buy like thermostats, cameras, TVs, set-top boxes, web based radios and speakers. The government is even doing it.
The “Internet of Things” is all about collecting and using customer use data. Welcome to the connected world.
Bob, what analytics does your web host provide to you and how do you use the information?
1. Because of this data gathering I do not use a smart phone, and I limit my use of my tablet to web searching and posting on BtB. I have never registered with any of the official sites to get other software, and definitely do not use google for email.
2. I do not use google analytics, My web server, Amixa, provides me a very basic statistics page that tells me how many hits I am getting as well as where those hits are coming from. That’s all I really need, as I do not earn money through ads.