Big Brother and the BBC

[yogi]

There is an old joke that goes something like this, "In the Soviet Union the television watches YOU." It's a reference to the Orwellian concept of Big Brother. Apparently the BBC has developed techniques whereby they can determine if you are watching their broadcasts and do not have the appropriate license. They are able to monitor WiFi signals in your home and match them to what they are broadcasting. If there is a match, you better have a license.

All that seems fair enough, but the technology used by the BBC also can "identify Skype internet phone calls passing over encrypted Wi-Fi, without needing to crack the network password" or anything else happening in your wireless network. Of course the BBC promised not to do anything more than check for illegal reception of their own broadcasts, and we can all trust them to keep their word. Right? My concern would not be over what the BBC can do, but what other people can do with the same technology.

That old Soviet joke doesn't seem to be as funny anymore. Does this worry you? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08 ... net-users/

[Icey]

It doesn't particularly worry me personally, as I don't have the TVs on very often.Everyone knows what certain manufacturers of smart TVs're doing though .......

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/130437- ... y-and-more

You can. however, prevent it, according to "How to Geek"; ".....Just don’t connect your smart TV to your home network and you’ll be protected from whatever built-in spying features it has and any security vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

Don’t connect your smart TV to your Wi-Fi network. If you have, go into your smart TV’s settings and disconnect it from the Wi-Fi. Don’t connect it to the network with an Ethernet cable, either. If you’ve already connected to the Wi-Fi network, try to get your smart TV to forget the password. If you can’t, you may need to reset it to its factory default settings — don’t give it the Wi-Fi password when you set it up again.

This will also prevent your smart TV from embedding extra advertisements into other things you watch — yes, some Samsung smart TVs actually do that! ..."

[yogi]

In order to stop this particular exploit, you will have to shut down your entire WiFi network or take the risk that it's being monitored.

[Icey]

I find it a little weird that this "spying" activity can't simply be switched off if the recipient doesn't want it.

[yogi]

The equipment and the people doing the spying are located inside mobile trucks parked within receiving distance of your WiFi. The only way to turn off the spying is to turn off your WiFi.

[Icey]

The TV licensing people've been patrolling for years, sneaking up on folk who they knew hadn't got a licence (from computer records). They'd sit outside of people's houses and knew if a TV was switched on or not, and could pinpoint it to a particular room. Now their job's been made even easier. I'm not all that bothered, because we've always had a licence, but it seems like a waste of money because of how little TV I watch.

[pilvikki]

Of course the BBC promised not to do anything more than check for illegal reception of their own broadcasts, and we can all trust them to keep their word.

indeed.

this spying stuff is getting ridiculous and it'll get worse before - if ever - it gets better.

[Icey]

I doubt it'll get any better. People have this insane urge to "nose around" these days.