In an October 21, 2026 post, X user log4j said they had reverse engineered a Samsung smart TV and found a firmware file listing an always-on microphone, automatic content recognition, location functions and targeted ads. The file’s list does not by itself show which functions were active on that TV. A community note said Samsung openly advertises some related features, including tools that listen for sounds such as barking or crying; Samsung had not responded to Decrypt’s request for comment.
Cybersecurity experts told Decrypt that AI-assisted reverse engineering may make such functions easier to uncover, but that data collection by smart devices is not new. One expert suggested data collection may help keep TV prices down; he did not establish it as the reason.
