Consumers may want to think twice before taking advantage of the Black Friday discounts offered on the latest Smart TVs after a recent study found 25 percent of Americans worry their conversations are being monitored through their smart TVs.
The study was conducted by Propeller Insights on behalf of ExpressVPN and surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults, finding that 29 percent of respondents also reported concerns with Alexa products while 25 percent reported concerns with Google Home.
Researchers recommend consumers take time to consider if they really need their TV connected to the internet and whether or not a stand alone streaming device can be sufficient enough before purchasing Smart TVs or other Smart devices with microphones. In addition, consumers should at least consider if the product is from a reputable brand with a history of promptly patching their products in the event of compromise.
For those that must purchase Smart TVs, researchers recommend users plug their TV into a power strip so they can cut the power when its not in use, cover the camera when not in uses if the device is equipped with one, turn tracking off in the settings, ensure the latest updates have been installed and connect the TV to a VPN router to ensure all traffic is encrypted.
