Samsung TVs Accused of Monitoring and Recording User Activity

Modern televisions have evolved far beyond simple video playback devices, but the hidden dangers behind their "smart" capabilities are becoming increasingly alarming. A cybersecurity researcher, known online as log4j, has uncovered serious privacy concerns after conducting an investigation on their 2025 Samsung television.

What was discovered in the Tizen operating system?

The researcher decided to study the television's firmware after noticing that the device was displaying unusually accurate, personalized advertisements. A detailed analysis revealed that Samsung's Tizen operating system performs large-scale data collection on its users. This includes audio recordings, screenshots, and Advertising Identifiers (AID) used for ad tracking.

According to the research, the TV uses artificial intelligence models and computer vision technology to analyse user behaviour. The system tracks what videos a person watches, which advertisements they skip, and how quickly they fast-forward through content. Notably, if the television does not have a built-in microphone, the system attempts to connect to nearby devices, such as Bluetooth speakers or soundbars, to capture audio information from them.

Does this affect television performance?

Many users have long complained about the sluggish performance of Samsung TVs, even when no demanding applications are running. The researcher suggests that this slowdown is a direct result of background data processing, audio analysis, and the operation of AI models that consume the television's system resources.

Other specialists, including an engineer from Hugging Face, have confirmed through their own experiments that the television actively uses the microphone at certain intervals. However, because these devices are often specifically "rooted," their behaviour may differ from standard televisions using factory settings.

What happens next?

It is worth noting that during the research process, OpenAI restricted the researcher's account, reportedly for violating cybersecurity policies, though the researcher claims they were using AI tools only for local reverse engineering rather than for attacks. This case brings the issue of privacy violations by smart appliances back to the forefront, and it is not limited to Samsung; similar allegations have previously been made against other manufacturers, including LG.

For users in Georgia, this is a concerning signal, as Samsung TVs are among the most popular brands in the country. If your television has suddenly slowed down or is displaying strangely accurate advertisements, it may be due to these "background processes." The researcher plans to publish a detailed report in the near future, which will provide a step-by-step guide on how users can check what their television is doing.