this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2023
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Privacy

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netflix.com is in the top5 domains on the entire network, and i have a Raspberry Pi running 24/7 (with AdGuard Home), most queries are from TV.

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[–] [email protected] 97 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Why the hell would you connect that to a network?

A smart tv is primarily a surveillance device that also happens to display video.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Got mine connected to the network so I can take advantage of a local install of Emby, but blocked from Internet access, and every time it makes a DNS request (still blocked, but logged), it's added to a personal hosts file for the entire network just in case the kill switch doesn't work for some anomalous reason

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Pro tip: Do the same for your printer.

[–] CaptPretentious 6 points 10 months ago

It's not going to be long until we have always online DRM TVs. Where the TV will prompt you to reconnect to the internet before continues to function.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

If you can remove the app from the TV, that may work. It's probably polling for updates or trying to cache a picture or something for the login screen.

Just like every other app on your TV, Netflix probably has a running service that is collecting all of your viewing habits and piping it to Nexflix whether or not you have an account. (Smart TVs come with extensive terms and conditions that you probably agreed to.)

Smart TVs are cheaper these days mostly because the hardware costs are subsidized by having pre-installed apps like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc. And yeah, they all want your data and they all want to participate in the advertising racket.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

True. Would really help to get any form of storage medium of that into a real OS. But its probably built in, so removing might not work. This is the case for windows even

[–] KpntAutismus 48 points 10 months ago (2 children)

do. not. connect. your. TV. to. the. internet.

i would recommend using an SBC as a video input device (single board computer) and using whatever service through that. (ideally under linux)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Maybe overkill, but I had an unused dell optiplex usff, KDE plasma with connect, and chromium web apps for the streaming 🏴‍☠️ services I use

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Why, exactly? Honest question

[–] KpntAutismus 1 points 10 months ago

basically because what OP's TV is doing. plus everything the tv can do, an sbc can do better at little extra cost (with more privacy).

[–] MigratingtoLemmy 20 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Detach/Desolder the WiFi card from the back of the TV. Connect a device to it and install Kodi.

[–] Synthead 27 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Desolder? Just remove the network setting 🤷‍♀️

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

No that's not enough. You should burry your TV in at least 1000lbs of concrete

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

On my TCL TV, it's impossible to disconnect the wifi after you connect it. The button just doesn't exist. I had to make a new network, connect to that, and shut down the new network.

[–] MigratingtoLemmy 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Your wifi ssid and password.

[–] MigratingtoLemmy 0 points 10 months ago

It can connect to any open WiFi in that case. I don't take such risks.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Just make it a little faraday cage in the shape of a tin foil hat

[–] MigratingtoLemmy 7 points 10 months ago

I do not understand the downvotes. I mentioned desolder in case some TVs have wiring that cannot be detached easily. People seem to have taken me to be a paranoid agent of sorts (my working assumption) just because of one word. Is this really the privacy community, or a place to discourage people from taking privacy into their own by (sometimes) doing the slightly difficult-to-do work?

[–] SteefLem 16 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Is it a samsung? And is there an netflix app on the tv? Just having the app on the tv even without login inor account will, at least on one of my tvs, make those requests.

Delete the app from the tv should stop those requests.

Edit: sorry i see its lg. same thing tho :)

[–] LemmyKnowsBest 9 points 10 months ago

Ah yes Netflix. I was going through the apps on my phone to delete things that I don't need, there's a bunch of shit on there I never installed and can't be uninstalled. like Netflix.