A growing wave of consumer frustration over invasive data collection, targeted advertisements, and deteriorating device performance is pushing television owners to take radical steps against smart TVs, from keeping screens permanently offline to manually disabling built-in microphones and hardware modules.
When internet-connected televisions first emerged in the late 2000s, manufacturers introduced operating systems, media players, and streaming applications to increasingly slim, widescreen displays. While early smart TVs were treated as luxury electronics, affordable options eventually saturated the market. However, Tom Parsons, the TV and audiovisual editor at electronics magazine What Hi-Fi?, notes that lower-cost models frequently struggle under demanding software requirements. These budget units are often unresponsive out of the box and can drastically slow down after two to four years due to the processing burden of continuous updates.
For tech-savvy users like Dan, who holds a master's degree in computer science and decades of telecommunications industry experience, the issues plaguing modern televisions stem from deteriorating product quality rather than complex interfaces. Explaining that the technology itself is not intimidating but "just increasingly enshittified," Dan recalled that "it was enormously satisfying when I threw a rock through the screen."
Privacy concerns have become a primary catalyst for viewers seeking alternatives. Parsons explained that contemporary televisions are packed with sensors and microphones, fueling widespread anxiety over the extent to which manufacturers scrape private user data. Despite rising demand among some buyers for basic "dumb" televisions, Parsons emphasized that the market for traditional displays has virtually vanished. While consumers can purchase inexpensive signage monitors, those commercial screens lack the performance features required for everyday home entertainment.
Finding a non-smart television has consequently become a major challenge. Paul, a public servant in Australia, spent three weeks searching his city for a replacement after his 10-year-old, 32-inch dumb TV broke down. He eventually discovered a dusty, single 40-inch display in the back of a shop for about 200 dollars. Featuring a built-in DVD player and basic rear ports for a roof aerial and VHS player, the TV lacked any internet connectivity. Although friends mock the device, Paul noted that "secretly I know the joke is on them. My little telly doesn't spy on me."
However, traditional television viewing faces upcoming systemic shifts. In September, the Australian government initiated a public consultation regarding the future of free-to-air broadcasting, considering options that include phasing out traditional broadcast signals in favor of internet streaming services and video-on-demand applications. During the same month, the UK government published a media green paper outlining plans to transition entirely away from digital terrestrial television to broadband-delivered services by 2034 at the earliest, forcing viewers to rely on streaming platforms and broadcaster apps.
For households wanting to avoid smart features, maintaining offline setups requires constant vigilance. McQuiston and her husband, Schroyer, treat their television strictly as a giant display. After struggling with an Xbox setup that required perpetual patching and app downloads, Schroyer, a software engineer, instituted a strict household rule prohibiting connected devices from receiving the wifi password. He expressed concern that ordinary consumers now need IT expertise just to secure a basic viewing experience. McQuiston added that if internet connectivity ever becomes mandatory, her husband is skilled enough to break any terms of service by unsoldering hardware components to manually disconnect the screen.
Similar privacy worries drove Helen Northmore, a 51-year-old AI delivery worker from Wales at the UK Health Security Agency, to scrutinize smart screens four years ago after her long-serving non-smart TV suddenly broke, forcing her to find a quick replacement.
The pushback against smart TV surveillance intensified in September following a two-hour investigative report published by the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus regarding LG Electronics devices. The report alleged that LG smart televisions record audio even while offline or turned off—a claim that the South Korean manufacturer explicitly denied. In the aftermath, a growing online DIY community began demonstrating methods to modify television hardware across various brands and models, including swapping motherboards, severing Bluetooth and wifi chips, and removing remote control microphones.
Among those who took action was James, a father originally from the United States now living in British Columbia, Canada. While traditional broadcast television is "dead to him" in favor of YouTube and streaming platforms, James remains fiercely protective of his family's privacy. Concerned that unauthorized audio collection could expose private family moments, such as his young daughter's personal milestones without explicit consent, James followed online tutorials to surgically modify his remote control. Using a craft knife, he scraped away the microphone sensor from the circuit board, reporting that the remote continued to operate perfectly afterward.
While technical experts advise that dismantling electronic equipment should generally be handled by professionals, the rise of home hardware modifications highlights a deepening rift between consumer privacy expectations and manufacturer tracking practices in modern living rooms.
Is your television listening to every conversation? Filling your home with highly invasive ads? Some viewers have had enough of tech violating their privacy
James’s willingness to dissect his tech comes from fears for his children. “My kids are not teenagers and they have no agency to protect their private information,” he says. “Someone listening in on a TV gets to find out about my daughter’s first period without her knowing. And that is a level of invasion no one should have without explicit consent.”
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.