14-05-2020, 01:34 PM
(14-05-2020, 06:55 AM)Radio Fixer Wrote: Does the data collection only occur if you are internet connected? Or can it happen if you use cable modems; from Virgin in my case?Cable supplies actual TV. A Cable setbox used for actual TV doesn't connect to the Internet. Some TVs can tune unencrypted cable and in some countries the Cable TV viewing card will work in a CAM in the TV CAM slot (very like the old laptop PCMCIA slots).
A Cable modem connects ethernet and if it has a router built in, also WiFi to the internet. It uses the same cable but different channels. A Smart TV will only share to the Internet via cable provider IF it using the ethernet cable or WiFi set up to your Broadband via your cable modem.
There are cable boxes that combine a Cable TV setbox and a cable Modem. They don't share what the TV is doing unless the TV's ethernet or WiFi is connected. The cable TV digital set boxes may incorporate streaming services via the cable broadband as well as conventional channels. Unlike a Satellite box with no Internet connection (sadly Sky box do now), the Digital Cable TV set box does report to the cable company what is selected on the cable box. US cable companies sell it.
Five Eyes surveillance is now helped by Palantir and tech companies. It's much more invasive than at the start of Echelon.
There was nothing remarkable about Snowden's revelations other than detail. It's been known for decades.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON
We don't have to give up technology, but IoT, smart Homes, Smart TV are an extra unnecessary invasion. A TV fed by HDMI by a laptop is actually "better" than the "native" and more invasive apps. Also some don't get updated. YouTube doesn't work now on lots of earlier so called Smart TVs.
