![]() ![]() When I explained that I was concerned about privacy and data tracking on the sets, I was told - with a strange look - that I could visit the manufacturer’s website for that information. I was excited about playing detective as I strode into the Best Buy near Lincoln Center, but my confidence quickly gave way to disappointment when I was told that the TVs were on “demo mode” and could not be reset. One of my sources suggested visiting an electronics store and resetting a few televisions. ![]() But even if I did that, I could end up with models without Samba TV’s software (and the strange problem of a TV collection in the office). The best way, of course, would be to buy a bunch of TVs. Much of the data that Samba TV collects comes from people who have agreed to enable its recommendation software while setting up a TV from one of more than a dozen brands, including Sony and Sharp.īut it quickly became clear that it’s incredibly difficult to figure out what consumers see and agree to when they set up smart TVs. But I asked dozens of friends about it, and they had never heard of the company. The company told us that it was collecting data from 13.5 million smart TVs in the United States. Several companies do this, including some TV manufacturers.Ī big question for us was how Samba TV was obtaining consumers’ permission to track their viewing habits. The company sells ads based on that information: for example, advertisers can target people based on the video game they play, or on whether they tend to watch liberal or conservative news outlets. Samba TV is a technology company that uses new tools to identify what people are watching on their internet-connected sets, then ties that information to the sites they visit on their phones and other behaviors. All it took was to download a few of the games to see how they obtained permission to access consumers’ microphones and even locations.īut I was initially stymied when it came to my latest article, which is about a company called Samba TV. Later in the year, I learned that a start-up used smartphone games - including some targeted to children - to listen to and track what people were watching on their TVs. ![]() That helped me identify issues on the site and interview frustrated parents. For example, after hearing about unsavory content on the YouTube Kids app last fall, I downloaded it and quickly found - while yelping in shock from my desk - a range of disturbing videos. Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how news, features and opinion come together at The New York Times.Īs the advertising reporter for The New York Times, I often get tips about technology that I can investigate firsthand. ![]()
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