A reverse-engineering review of Samsung smart TV firmware has drawn attention to the range of data-collection and monitoring functions built into connected televisions, including microphone-related tools, automatic content recognition and targeted advertising. Cybersecurity specialists said the discovery highlights a broader privacy issue affecting many everyday smart devices, although the functions described are not necessarily new or undisclosed.
What the firmware review found
An X user identified as log4j said they examined the firmware of a relatively new Samsung television after noticing what they described as unusually targeted advertising. In a post discussed by Decrypt, the researcher said a file named “security-policy.xml” listed a series of functions associated with the TV.
The listed capabilities included an always-on microphone, automatic content recognition, geo-positioning, network mapping, a targeted-ads service and user-profile building. The researcher also said Samsung televisions without an integrated microphone could search for one in connected equipment, such as a soundbar or Bluetooth speaker.
The post described the findings as a serious privacy concern and said the researcher had encountered encryption and other technical barriers while examining newer Samsung TV firmware. Samsung had not responded to Decrypt’s request for comment at the time of publication.
A community note attached to the post offered important context. Samsung publicly promotes certain listening functions through Pet Care and Family Care tools on its Vision AI televisions. Those tools can listen for sounds such as barking or crying and send alerts to owners through the SmartThings app. That means at least some of the functionality highlighted in the firmware review is presented by Samsung as part of a product feature, rather than being entirely undisclosed.
Experts: the technology is not unique to Samsung
James Bore, a cybersecurity and technology consultant, told Decrypt that the review appeared to increase public awareness of monitoring capabilities that are already common across connected products. He said smart devices including televisions, voice assistants and cars often describe their data practices in privacy policies and end-user licence agreements, although consumers may not read those documents closely.
Bore said smart televisions can monitor viewing behaviour to improve advertising and encourage purchases. In his view, the central issue is not simply the existence of a particular microphone or recognition feature, but the wider practice of companies collecting information and using profiles to influence consumer decisions.
Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity adviser at ESET, said the Samsung discussion could be followed by more discoveries involving other devices. Artificial-intelligence tools are making reverse engineering faster and more accessible, allowing researchers to examine software and explain how products collect, process and share information.
Bore agreed that AI-assisted reverse engineering could help uncover and clarify these systems, while stressing that the underlying collection practices are generally not new. The experts said consumers should not view the reported Samsung functions as an issue unique to that brand or to televisions.
Data collection and the cost of smart TVs
Moore also suggested that extensive data collection may be part of the economics of the television market. He said TV prices have not risen noticeably in the same way as some other products over the past two decades and that customer-data collection could help keep costs down.
The comments point to a trade-off that has become increasingly relevant as televisions have evolved from simple display devices into internet-connected platforms. Alongside streaming and app capabilities, smart TVs may collect information about viewing activity and use it to create advertising profiles. The source material does not establish that any particular data practice directly determines the price of an individual Samsung model, but the experts connected the broader business model with the affordability of televisions.
Some owners have already started using AI coding agents to remove advertisements and tracking software from smart TVs. The open-source Cleanyourtv project lists tested configurations for 107 television models from 37 brands. However, the project fully supports only Android-based televisions and does not support Samsung’s Tizen operating system. Decrypt also reported that attempts to create such solutions through rapid, AI-generated coding can produce unintended results.
What owners can do, and the market picture
Moore said users can review television settings and reduce the number of data-access points being used or analysed. He also argued that privacy controls should not be difficult to locate across dozens of menus. The experts’ broader concern was the scale of collection and the parties with which information may be shared, rather than one newly identified Samsung feature alone.
The issue has also affected how some technology users behave. Muneeb Ali, co-founder of Bitcoin layer-2 network Stacks, said he avoids handling private crypto keys in rooms containing connected devices because of fears that a compromised device could record or listen to conversations.
Moneyiar market data, recorded at 22:38 on October 25, 2026, showed Aster at $0.7032517179, down 0.10% over 24 hours but up 1.27% over seven days. Sun [New] was $0.0163252667, up 0.06% in 24 hours and down 1.39% over seven days. Plasma stood at $0.0738233787, up 0.12% daily and down 2.89% weekly, while OriginTrail was $0.3709267304, down 3.98% over 24 hours and 5.10% over seven days. These market figures are Moneyiar data and are separate from the Samsung privacy report.
