A researcher says Samsung TVs without a mic may borrow the mics in a soundbar or Bluetooth device. The claims are unconfirmed, but a few settings are worth checking.
A cybersecurity researcher says some Samsung TVs may listen to you even if the TV has no microphone of its own. He says the TV looks for a connected device that has one, such as a soundbar or other Bluetooth gear, and uses the audio it picks up. Samsung has not replied yet.
The researcher, who posts as @log4j on X, got administrator access to his own 2025 Samsung TV. He started digging after seeing oddly specific ads. He says the TV logged sounds like a dog barking and a baby crying. He also says it tracks activity inside apps, including which YouTube ads a viewer skips.
Samsung's 2025 Vision AI TVs do advertise detecting barking dogs and crying babies and sending alerts through the SmartThings app. According to NotebookCheck.net, Samsung does not say that this data is also sent back to the company.
These are one researcher's claims about his own TV. Samsung has not confirmed or denied them. Mashable says it has asked and will update its story. It is not clear how many TVs work this way or what Samsung does with the data.
Similar worries have come up elsewhere. Last month, a YouTuber called Gamers Nexus claimed LG TVs recorded users even when turned off. LG denied some of the claims but not all.
Owners of Samsung TVs, especially 2025 models paired with a soundbar, should look at the steps in the alert box above. They take a few minutes.
Review your Samsung TV's privacy and voice settings and any paired Bluetooth devices while Samsung's answer is still pending.
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