Samsung refutes suggestions its Smart TVs can spy on households
Samsung has scotched suggestions that its Smart TVs have been ear wigging on households, despite the wording of a privacy clause in its policy which warns users that words spoken within its presence may be recorded.
The technology enables real-time voice command activation by routing verbal data through a third party for translation into actionable commands, prompting privacy campaigners to give voice to concerns of their own surrounding the sanctity of the living room.
Samsung observed: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third-party through your use of Voice Recognition.”
Samsung has scrabbled to attest that such data is encrypted and deleted after use. In a statement the South Korean firm said: “Samsung does not retain voice data or sell it to third parties. If a consumer consents and uses the voice recognition feature, voice data is provided to a third-party during a requested voice command search.
“At the same, the voice data is sent to a server, which searches for the requested content then returns the desired content to the TV.”