Technology

74627 readers

3268 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related news or articles.
Be excellent to each other!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

149

Telly Starts Shipping Free, Ad-Supported 4K TVs, Will Charge Users up to $1,000 if They Violate Terms of Service (variety.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

80 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 91 points 2 years ago (13 children)

To receive the free TV, Telly users must submit detailed demographic info (such as age, gender and address), as well as purchasing behaviors, brand preferences and viewing habits, and they must agree to let their data be used for serving targeted ads. Telly’s TVs include a sensor that detects how many people are in front of the screen at any given moment.

So what’s the catch? Telly users must agree to several conditions under the company’s terms of service. If someone doesn’t abide by the TOS, Telly reserves the right to demand the TV be shipped back — otherwise, it will charge up to $1,000 to the credit card associated with a given account.

Among the Telly TV requirements: You must “use the product as the primary television in your household”; you must keep the TV connected to the internet at all times; and you are not allowed to use any ad-blocking software. In addition, users may not make “physical modifications to the product or attach peripheral devices to the product not expressly approved by Telly,” the company says in its terms of service. “Any attempt to open the product’s enclosure will be deemed an unauthorized modification.”

Why don't we just invite big brother right into our living rooms, eh?

Also, I guess you need approval to connect an Xbox, Playstation, or set-top box? What about my htpc?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (10 children)

If I'm blocking ads with e.g. a Pi Hole, does that violate this? In that case I'm not running ad blocking software on the unit itself. Can they realistically dictate what people do outside of the product?

Edit: and for that matter, if my internet goes out but I still use my TV, am I then liable for my ISP's outage?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (9 children)

Yes, using pihole would violate their ToS: https://www.freetelly.com/terms-of-service

(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.

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. Failure to return Products to Telly will result in Telly charging the credit card on file. If you do abide by the Terms of Service, your credit card will not be charged.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

solution, route your network through a VPN with advertising blocking. It isn't your network that does the blocking

load more comments (8 replies)

load more comments (10 replies)