How the Smart TV invades your privacy

Linear TV is getting a beat down for years, revenue is declining, and the usage is going down. Only a few big cows fill in gaps that don't care too much about ROI on their ads.

With second screen usage going up, more and more longstanding industry elements are on the decline.

TV is the largest owned screen in the world today, which makes it a perfect device for a great many thinks —from video conferencing, watching your movie, or playing games.

As such, the device has a centerpiece in every apartment and is oftentimes placed very central. With added products like Apple TV, Chromecast, or Fire TV, we enhance the functionality.

But while many companies like Netflix and others create a large business based on those screens, the underlying product is only the vehicle. An oftentimes dumb device that fulfills a narrow but important role for others.

That will change more and more going forward with Samsung and others invading the screen and using their device to spy on users.

With the device being able to track usages of applications and screen times, it can understand the user, which can then be leveraged towards advertisements, either directly or indirectly.

I wouldn't be surprised to have the device play out more personalized ads during linear TV. Reacting based on the cable signal, "here comes a 30-second window for ads".

The same goes for all those ads being shown in the interface.

While I understand this move in general, it comes unprepared and not communicated well. We have ads on Fire TV for years, and Android / Chromecast also has them. So it's not all about ads or no ads. It is very much about buying something without and then getting it in your face without consent.

I imagine you could run a special version of each TV with and without advertisement—Discriminating based on the consumer's price sensitivity. Much like Amazon does it with the Kindle.