Since this is a translation of an overseas article, there may be mistranslations.
https://hothardware.com/news/samsung-bans-smart-tv-apps-that-secretly-share-home-internet
Samsung Completely Bans Smart TV Apps That Secretly Share Home Internet
Following revelations by researchers at Nimonic that some apps, including the Editor's Choice Pac-Man port, contained hidden proxy exit node functionality, Samsung has announced that it will remove all apps that share user internet connections.
We warned last May that smart TVs were already spying on users, and LG recently faced backlash over a rather outrageous update to its service terms related to this behavior. Considering this, it's fortunate that Samsung acted swiftly to block these actions after Nimonic brought them to light. While more thorough vetting of recommended Tizen apps should have been conducted before this incident.
You might feel betrayed by Namco Bandai, the Pac-Man distributor, but there's no need. While this port is an officially licensed version, Playworks, a development studio that pays licensing fees to major distributors like Namco Bandai to port games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders to smart TV platforms like Samsung Tizen OS, was responsible.
During their investigation, Nimonic discovered that Playworks games were using the Bright Data SDK. Bright Data is a data collection company that openly states its operation of a large residential proxy network.
After desoldering the TV's flash chip to read the firmware directly and gain root administrator privileges on Samsung smart TVs, researchers were able to analyze the network traffic of the TV and its installed Tizen-compatible apps.
Nimonic found a hidden Bright Data SDK within the Editor's Choice Pac-Man port and wryly noted that the distance between the living room and the proxy exit node was just a server-side setting change and a button press away for anyone holding the remote.
In Bright Data's defense, activating the inactive proxy functionality requires user consent. However, the inclusion of this functionality within the Pac-Man game raises concerns. Samsung's immediate action, relayed to Engadget, was the immediate ban of the app and a platform-wide policy change to completely ban the Bright Data SDK.
▶ Source: https://hothardware.com/news/samsung-bans-smart-tv-apps-that-secretly-share-home-internet
