TV Sets Sold In Rockford Have Been Spying On You

It is crazy to think that we are now living in a world where TV sets are now tracking our every move. 

TV's have become more sophisticated over the years. Especially when you purchase a "Smart TV". One manufacturer whose sets are sold here locally admitted they spied on you.

The website BGR.com details what the manufacturer VIzio has done since 2014. What they did was collect data from a Vizio set that has internet capabilities.

Here is what they did in detail:

"The tracking started in February 2014 on both new TVs and previously sold devices that didn't originally ship with ACR software installed. The software periodically appended IP addresses to the collected data and also made it possible for more detailed personal information—including age, sex, income, marital status, household size, education level, home ownership, and home values—to be associated. The collection occurred under a setting that was described as a "Smart Interactivity" feature that "enables program offers and suggestions." The menu never informed users that the feature also transmitted viewing habits or other personal information. The complaint offered these additional technical details"

What this means is that if you owned a TV that was made by Vizio, and you were connected to the internet, they knew everything you did on your TV. But, they could not track types of activities:

1. Watching you eat pizza shirtless.

2. Marching around with your kids in the living room

3. Yelling at the TV screen while the Bears throw another interception

Vizio had a complaint filed against them on Monday. It did not take them long at all to admit this was something they practiced and settled with the FTC and to someone in New Jersey. This was done yesterday. That is catching someone in the cookie jar real quick.

If you own a Vizio Smart TV, it is ok to keep using it. They are not going to be collecting any more data. Nor will they be trying to take pictures of you dancing like a fool.