Consoom 'Free' Tellyscreen. Enjoy being spied on.

Note: I have no legal experience. This article is a “layman’s” opinion. If you stop anything incorrect, please email: webmaster@worldofmatthew.com

American startup “Telly” want’s to “giveaway” 500,000 televisions. However, the catch and the path it leads society down is terrifying.

The catch is that the entire price of the television is subsidised by adverts. Those adverts are displayed on a 2nd smaller screen below the primary display. Or as “Telly” calls it a “Smart Screen”, that apart from displaying; weather, stock market chats and sport scored also display advents.

A free TV in return for having adverts displayed like that sounds awesome when many brands are inserting adverts into televisions that you actually purchase for real money.

However, reading closer in to the terms of service and privacy policy suggests a product that is not only even less private than the paid competition but that could be compared either to the ad-filled screen from Idiocracy (2006 film) or the Telescreen’s from 1984.

A Creepy Service

In North Korea, many apartment blocks are fitted with a “radio” (actually a loudspeaker) that residents are not able to turn off.

But of course no American company is taking hints from North Korea to serve you cooperate propaganda in the form of ADs…..

“Telly” is totally different. You just have a 2nd screen that shows adverts which is left on, even if you turn off the TV.

Unlike North Korea, you can at least turn the power to the TV off…….. Apart from the fact doing so will volatile the terms of service you agreed in exchange for your free television;

“If we discover that You are not abiding by the requirements above or have disconnected the Product from an internet connection or WiFi for more than short periods each month, You will no longer be able to use the Service and You must return any Products in your possession to Telly.”

Basically, disconnecting your “Telly” at night means losing your television. Those adverts have to be kept running, even when you are asleep.

What a capitalist way of copying North Korea’s method of propaganda.

All made worse by the face, you are required to use “Telly” as your primary television or else. Advertising aka propaganda for your whole.

And forget about any ideas to avoid seeing the adverts, as “Telly” has thought of almost everything. Any attempts to block the ADs or to use another streaming stick (Apparently “Telly” comes with its own) is disallowed;

The Product requires an Internet and Wi-Fi connections from third-party providers in order to be functional. Your Internet connection or data plan is subject to the fees, restrictions, terms and limitations imposed by your provider. In order to use the Product and Services, You will:

(a) Use the Product as the primary television in Your household;

(b) Keep the Product connected to WiFi and internet; and

(c) Not use any software on Your WiFi network that with advertising blocking capability.

(d) Not make physical modifications to the Product or attach peripheral devices to the Product not expressly approved by Telly. Any attempt to open the Product’s enclosure will be deemed an unauthorized modification.

The only thing not covered in the terms are covering-up the bottom screen with cardboard or tape. Though, issuing a software update to require that screen for core navigation will close that loophole.

An executive for “Telly” answered some questions to claim that “Telly” won’t be that restrictive and that they are not that concerned with “hacking” or disabling the second screen and that you will be allowed to plug in streaming devices, even though their own terms of services disallows what that executive is saying.

The creepy “privacy” policy

The section above was just some of the creepiness in the general terms. The two different privacy policies (Yes, there are two) turn the creepiness of “Telly” up to a scary level.

That will include something that “Telly” accidentally published, which displays the companies disregard for privacy in relation to children.

By using “Telly”, you give the company permission to collect and share a lot of your personal information with advertisers. Including;

• Your name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Password
• IP Address
• Device ID (And MAC addresses)
• Device Fingerprint (Type of Device, Operating System and Browser used)
• Viewing habbits

“Telly” also gives themselves permission to collect and share information to advertisers of a more personal information, including

• Your Date of Birth
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Cultural and Political “Identifiers”

“Telly” promises that (excluding viewing and “activity” data) will be anonymized (with “fuzzing”) and redaction of private information, even though “Telly” in the same policy says they will share that information with advertisers…..

Extremely vague…..

More concerning, however, is this (within Activity Data section of the “Viewing and Activity Data Policy”):

We also collect information about how you interact with our TV, such as your search queries, settings preferences, applications you open,purchases or other transactions you make, buttons you select, the time, frequency and duration of your activities, the physical presence of you and anyother individuals using the TV at any given time, and other usage data.

Basically, every you do with your television is collect by “Telly”, including even physical presence of people watching…..

Reminds me of the Telescreen’s from George Orwell’s 1984.

Last points and conclusion:

Ultimately, “Telly” will attract customers who can’t afford to spend £300 on a brand new 4K television. People who can afford that will want to avoid the awful terms “Telly” forces them to sign up to.

At least that will be the post-hype user base.

People on low incomes have less spending power, thus are less attractive to advertisers. Leading to low advertising revenue for “Telly”.

There is a very high chance that on top of the insane levels of surveillance, there will be increasingly invasive advertisements that “Telly” will require to be profitable.

Eventually, having your television looking like the one in Idiocracy (2006 movie).

As per the agreement you sign, if you disagree with any changes to the service offered by “Telly”. You are required to send your television back or be charged the cost of that television.

Just don’t bother. Your information if far more valuable than the cost of a television. Even someone on a low income would (with a few cut back for a couple of months) maybe be able to buy a budget 4k set with interest free credit.

There is no propose for “Telly” to exist.

Published: 18th May 2023