Solved Is your smart TV a secret proxy? LG to suspend rogue apps, Samsung sets impacted too

FrancoDT · Sep 13, 2026

Marie SWE said:
Same here and the same about all tech.
I have the luxury that i have the knowledge to just just remove the problem from the tech.
If i ever get a smart-TV when a dumb-TV cant be bought any longer, i would not use the smart function as i would use the Cable-TV instead of IPTV.. and as i have a computer hooked up to my TV i run my movies, series and music from that one. I dont know of any TV that have 20TB disk space. (without hooking up to external storage)
If i ever would hook up a smart-TV to internet, i would not let the Microphones be connected to the circuit-board as you dont need microphones inside a TV. And i would kill all unwanted domains it tries to connect to.

So being afraid of tech... No.... I take control of the tech, then letting the tech control me.

Don't know about where you're at but Cable TV is a dying breed here due to exorbitant cost and is being replaced by the popularity of streaming so the smart function is pretty much a necessity.

Scannerman · Sep 13, 2026

Scannerman said:
I first heard about this on Links with Friends (Level 1 Techs channel). I don't own a television. I haven't owned a T.V. since 1989. I'm exempt from a lot of things because I simply refuse to participate. This doesn't mean I'm in the dark. I'm far from living like a Luddite. I just do everything through PCs. Not saying everyone has to follow my example but it is an option. I get more than enough [viewing] documentaries and movies etc. simply through torrents.

To quote myself. Frankly, I do care when these voyeurs invade my personal space. There's a reason why I decided I didn't need a GPS tracker. There's a reason why I've never owned a smart phone, cell phone, or anything of that nature. There's a reason everything in the house is hard wired and why WiFi is disabled (and I don't just mean virtually). There's not one person in this forum that doesn't have something to hide.

Privacy is contingent with property. Technically you really cannot have one without the other. I'm all for owning my own hardware. I'm all for right to repair what I own. Yup, that's right... I'm a capitalist. I'm all for sharing but I never forget that one cannot give what one does not have.

FrancoDT · Sep 13, 2026

Scannerman said:
To quote myself. Frankly, I do care when these voyeurs invade my personal space. There's a reason why I decided I didn't need a GPS tracker. There's a reason why I've never owned a smart phone, cell phone, or anything of that nature. There's a reason everything in the house is hard wired and why WiFi is disabled (and I don't just mean virtually). There's not one person in this forum that doesn't have something to hide.

Privacy is contingent with property. Technically you really cannot have one without the other. I'm all for owning my own hardware. I'm all for right to repair what I own. Yup, that's right... I'm a capitalist. I'm all for sharing but I never forget that one cannot give what one does not have.

Good on you if you're happy living that way but I'll be blunt, most of us aren't willing to give up that level of modernization and convenience and go back to living in the "Dark Ages" so to speak. Course if someone shuts down the power grid and internet I imagine you'll be more tolerant then the rest of us.

Scannerman · Sep 13, 2026

FrancoDT said:
Good on you if you're happy living that way but I'll be blunt, most of us aren't willing to give up that level of modernization and convenience and go back to living in the "Dark Ages" so to speak. Course if someone shuts down the power grid and internet I imagine you'll be more tolerant then the rest of us.

True enough. We certainly all value our creature comforts. Hopefully, I will die happy and someone else can inherit my empire of dirt.

Marie SWE · Sep 13, 2026

FrancoDT said:
Don't know about where you're at but Cable TV is a dying breed here due to exorbitant cost and is being replaced by the popularity of streaming so the smart function is pretty much a necessity.

over here they also have fast internet over the same cable system, so i think that will help to keep cable TV alive for a while longer.

Scannerman · Sep 13, 2026

Marie SWE said:
over here they also have fast internet over the same cable system, so i think that will help to keep cable TV alive for a while longer.

When I made the switch to fiber it was abundantly clear that copper is pretty much done where I live. This is especially true in temperate zones where temps affect RF and the elements react with copper. Before I made the switch my line ran through muskeg and in places two feet of water. Fluctuations in net speed were the norm. Not only is my internet faster and more stable now but it's also cheaper. Plus my up and down are the same.

Marie SWE · Sep 13, 2026

Scannerman said:
When I made the switch to fiber it was abundantly clear that copper is pretty much done where I live. This is especially true in temperate zones where temps affect RF and the elements react with copper. Before I made the switch my line ran through muskeg and in places two feet of water. Fluctuations in net speed were the norm. Not only is my internet faster and more stable now but it's also cheaper. Plus my up and down are the same.

I had internet over coax between 1995 to 2006 and since then i have fiber that is more stable, faster and lower latency.. but i also ran coax as failover to my fiber between 2012-2023. coax is okay.. not good but okay. they bury the cables really deep over here to be sure its below frost level.. so it works pretty well

PhilB · Sep 14, 2026

Scannerman said:
When I made the switch to fiber it was abundantly clear that copper is pretty much done where I live. This is especially true in temperate zones where temps affect RF and the elements react with copper. Before I made the switch my line ran through muskeg and in places two feet of water. Fluctuations in net speed were the norm. Not only is my internet faster and more stable now but it's also cheaper. Plus my up and down are the same.

Which fiber provider? In my area, AT&T is doing a big push to the 1 Gb fiber. First year pricing is very attractive. After that same as my Comcast +/-, But I don't much like Comcast.

Forgot to mention that the phone company in my state (CA) is trying to 100% abandon its copper wire plant.

cheaterslick · Sep 14, 2026

XxXxX said:
the ad they have been trying very hard to popup in front of your face.

And trying real hard not to get me to buy their product.

lffoar said:
I just bought a second dumb fridge

Yea, that can still be done. You just have to ask the salesman for one.

FrancoDT said:
Cable TV is a dying breed here due to exorbitant cost and is being replaced by the popularity of streaming

Which will also have an exorbitant cost. Get more & more people hooked on streaming and that's what you'll have, if some people aren't paying those costs already.

FrancoDT said:
Good on you if you're happy living that way but I'll be blunt, most of us aren't willing to give up that level of modernization and convenience and go back to living in the "Dark Ages" so to speak. Course if someone shuts down the power grid and internet I imagine you'll be more tolerant then the rest of us.

It's all about choice. People who want it should get it. Those that don't shouldn't have it forced on them.

Marie SWE · Sep 14, 2026

cheaterslick said:
It's all about choice. People who want it should get it. Those that don't shouldn't have it forced on them.

The world is coming to an end.

FrancoDT · Sep 14, 2026

cheaterslick said:
Which will also have an exorbitant cost. Get more & more people hooked on streaming and that's what you'll have, if some people aren't paying those costs already.

It's all about choice. People who want it should get it. Those that don't shouldn't have it forced on them.

Yup, totally agree about both. Streaming services have already caught on and are steadily raising their prices now, usually annually. Just got another notice a few minutes ago of a two dollar increase for one starting next month. When I tried to cancel one last month that wanted to raise the price they actually lowered it for a year less than what I was currently paying. Corporate greed will never stop. A nationwide cable company just bought up Cox Communications (Cable) out here creating a super monopoly in 45 states now.

Josey Wales · Sep 14, 2026

I do not need a smart TV as most of the stuff on TV is garbage. I only watch Sports on it and the 50 " TV we have is crystal clear. I agree that users do have a choice.

Scannerman · Sep 14, 2026

PhilB said:
Which fiber provider? In my area, AT&T is doing a big push to the 1 Gb fiber. First year pricing is very attractive. After that same as my Comcast +/-, But I don't much like Comcast.

Forgot to mention that the phone company in my state (CA) is trying to 100% abandon its copper wire plant.

Northern Lights Fiber. (It's a division of Canadian Fiber Optics.) 1GB up and down is good enough for this place.

Scannerman · Sep 14, 2026

Marie SWE said:
The world is coming to an end.

As all things do. It'll be a blast to see silicon prices crash to all time lows, but not likely to happen anytime soon. I agree with Cheaterslick : options matter.

I tip my hat to the die-hard vintage PC hobbyists. These do not go gentle into that good night. They keep old dreams alive. Old tech can be just as fascinating as bleeding edge. We are standing on the shoulders of giants. Myself, I have no use for a TV, but a PC is a truly fascinating device. My world is coming to an end and ultimately, so is everyone else's world. Isn't that wonderful?

andrew129260 · Sep 14, 2026

I just disable the smart tv stuff. On the google os tvs you can tell it to just be a dumb tv.

https://support.google.com/googletv/answer/10408998?hl=en#zippy=%2Cwhat-you-can-do-in-basic-tv%2Cwhat-you-cant-do-in-basic-tv

But, you can also just not setup the tv to the internet. Thats is always an option unless its a newer roku sadly. But even then you can set it up and then disable the wifi, I just use a random hotspot for one time setup and then disconnect it.

Then you can just use a console or firestick you "tweaked". Tv is dumb.

win win.

Or just use it anyway, whatevs you prefer

Banjoman301 · Sep 14, 2026

We set up LG TV and Roku on an IoT network, and firewall rules for traffic.

andrew129260 · Sep 14, 2026

Banjoman301 said:
We set up LG TV and Roku on an IoT network, and firewall rules for traffic.

yeah asus routers have a nice one click Iot network assign thing. That works well too

Marie SWE · Sep 14, 2026

Scannerman said:
As all things do. It'll be a blast to see silicon prices crash to all time lows, but not likely to happen anytime soon. I agree with Cheaterslick : options matter.

I tip my hat to the die-hard vintage PC hobbyists. These do not go gentle into that good night. They keep old dreams alive. Old tech can be just as fascinating as bleeding edge. We are standing on the shoulders of giants. Myself, I have no use for a TV, but a PC is a truly fascinating device. My world is coming to an end and ultimately, so is everyone else's world. Isn't that wonderful?

I was just making a joke about people having a choice, then the world would end

I am all about having a choice... the choice to have privacy or not.. that should be up to the user to chose, not to the company.

This is why i so often bash out on Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple..
When they have monopoly and the only choice they give the user is.. accept no privacy or dont use our product.. That is abuse of power.

Facebook is easy to avoid as you dont really need that platform.. But the other three more or less has the monopoly on OS's for smartphones, tablets and computers.

Linux and degoogled android phones do exist.. but then you cant log in to a bank or you cant have some software as they only is made for Windows/Google-Android/MacOS/iOS..
So as Microsoft, Google and Apple have monopoly and their user-terms is.. accept no privacy or dont use our products.. then its just wrong

I'm forced to use Windows for three things.. and as win10/11 home/pro sucks on privacy and all tweaks for it get thrown out the window on every H version uproll, then LTSC is the only choice as that one can be made in to privacy.. but as microsoft have said we dont sell LTSC to normal customers. only to business via volume licences only.

Then i think Microsoft have made it morally right for us users that want privacy to use LTSC without valid licence key.
I will change this opinion that day Microsoft let normal people buy an LTSC key for one computer and not only business volume licenses.

as for LG-smart TV..
for a non-tech.. dont hook it up to internet, use chromcast box or apple-TV box to the HDMI port...
for those who are tech savvy... open the TV and remove the microphones, or set up a firewall or a pi-hole to block unwanted internet connections.

Even if a device is a spyware.. if it can't phone home, it can't spy on you.

Scannerman · Sep 14, 2026

Marie SWE said:
I was just making a joke about people having a choice, then the world would end
I am all about having a choice... the choice to have privacy or not.. that should be up to the user to chose, not to the company.

This is why i so often bash out on Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple..
When they have monopoly and the only choice they give the user is.. accept no privacy or dont use our product.. That is abuse of power.

Facebook is easy to avoid as you dont really need that platform.. But the other three more or less has the monopoly on OS's for smartphones, tablets and computers.

Linux and degoogled android phones do exist.. but then you cant log in to a bank or you cant have some software as they only is made for Windows/Google-Android/MacOS/iOS..
So as Microsoft, Google and Apple have monopoly and their user-terms is.. accept no privacy or dont use our products.. then its just wrong

I'm forced to use Windows for three things.. and as win10/11 home/pro sucks on privacy and all tweaks for it get thrown out the window on every H version uproll, then LTSC is the only choice as that one can be made in to privacy.. but as microsoft have said we dont sell LTSC to normal customers. only to business via volume licences only.

Then i think Microsoft have made it morally right for us users that want privacy to use LTSC without valid licence key.
I will change this opinion that day Microsoft let normal people buy an LTSC key for one computer and not only business volume licenses.

as for LG-smart TV..
for a non-tech.. dont hook it up to internet, use chromcast box or apple-TV box to the HDMI port...
for those who are tech savvy... open the TV and remove the microphones, or set up a firewall or a pi-hole to block unwanted internet connections.

Even if a device is a spyware.. if it can't phone home, it can't spy on you.

I can't agree with you more. In fact, I just made reference to this on our coffee side discussions regarding 2FA and how I have to use Linux to make specific purchases because MS won't let me use my method for 2FA. Perhaps it has something to do with having a local account but really, it's just easier to use Linux instead. I'm trying to keep my girls current but they're stuck on Win 10. I'm hoping the 15 year old will be more open to using Win 11 now that she has a beast of a laptop in her possession. (Yeah, I finally managed to get her 25H2.) I have four daughters. That's one down and three to go. I'm not too worried about the one in university as Win 11 will be required there (but I heard that she recently bumped into a big Linux fan and she's speaking very positively about Linux now). Either way, she'll do her own thing. I think mother is going to be the toughest to transition to 11. I've given her Linux before but she won't use it. I suspect it will go the same way it always does: Her apps will start misbehaving and she'll get tired of the BSODs and finally let me install Win 11 on her PC. She already has X-Lite but she didn't bother to migrate her data there. That's prob a good thing.

You make a valid point about LTSC but I'm retired and I prefer using a legitimate OS. Even if my business license was still valid purchasing an LTSC key would be above my pay grade. Perhaps I should look into it anyway.

HeavyHemi · Sep 14, 2026

PhilB said:
Which fiber provider? In my area, AT&T is doing a big push to the 1 Gb fiber. First year pricing is very attractive. After that same as my Comcast +/-, But I don't much like Comcast.

Way back in the dark ages... a good friend of mine was a supervisor for AT&T in the San Jose CA area and got me a hookup on their initial roll out of 1.5Mbs fiber. This would have been around 1994. What was trippy about it was, my first ping to the server was around 1ms. I could access some pages faster than they could be pulled off the cache on the drive.

Solved Is your smart TV a secret proxy? LG to suspend rogue apps, Samsung sets impacted too

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