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Comment by smallpipe | Hacker News Reader

With Amazon Sidewalk I don't think not hooking it up to the internet is an option anymore, unless you live out in the boonies

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> Amazon Sidewalk[0] is a low-bandwidth long-range wireless communication protocol developed by Amazon. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for short distance communication, and 900 MHz LoRa and other frequencies for longer distances.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Sidewalk

>With Amazon Sidewalk I don't think not hooking it up to the internet is an option anymore

"Anymore"? So far there's no evidence any TVs are using it, so you're safe for now.

There was no evidence about all the spying until 200,000,000 LG displays were sold.

it's harder to disguise 900mhz radios in devices because it'll be in the FCC listing.

There was definitely evidence, just the mainstream was never loud with it. I'm on the privacy train for more than a decade now, and smart TVs were always considered abysmal in this regard - bad defaults, low configurability, and no alternative firmware.

"for now"

New business idea: fitted faraday cages for smart tvs

Some well placed copper tape on the back of the tv will likely get the job done in many cases.

Or just rm the nic

Great idea, assuming that doesn't disable the entire system

Desolder the wifi antenna. No way for software to distinguish that from legitimately not being near any other wifi devices.

The issue was BTLE not wifi... and BTLE antennas are sometimes just circuit board traces, I believe.

Anyway, any solution that involves opening up the enclosure is one just for the nerds.

BTLE and wifi are almost always the same chip with a 2.4Ghz antenna. Cut the power trace to it and job done.

Even so agreed on the latter point. I have a full EE lab at home but even I lack the space to work on a modern large format display.

Documenting optimal copper tape positions for the back of the display for different models is the move.

In reality that'll never work because the front of the tV needs to be exposed. At best you can make your whole room/house a faraday cage, but that'd be insanely expensive to do correctly. You might think a microwave is a faraday cage, but a phone can still get calls even if you put it inside.

Some people still want to receive content on their TVs in the old fashion way, using radio waves, even in their more modern form, DVB. Unfortunately a Faraday cage blocks both input and output.

Boonies? No. Literally EVERYONE has a damn Alexa and it's on the network. The coverage map is staggering. https://coverage.sidewalk.amazon/

Wifi can be effective up to about 300'/100m outside, but houses in the boonies are seldom that close together. If your neighbor has a smart farmhouse fully Alexa-fied, a mere tenth of a mile away, your devices won't see it.

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