According to the Bundeskartellamt’s
sector inquiry Smart TVs (PDF) almost all Internet-capable TV sets available in Germany violate the Basic Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The investigation, which was already launched in December 2017, also identified numerous deficiencies in the IT security of the televisions and documented further problems such as „the legality of advertising on TV portals“. In total, the antitrust authority examined devices of 20 brands.
The objected transparency deficiencies, which could damage the privacy of users, are mainly based on the recording of TV viewing behaviour, app use and surfing and clicking behaviour. However, some of the smart TVs also record biometric data such as voice and individual cursor movements in order to identify individuals.
Data protection options hardly findable
The collected data...
