Samsung has admitted it can block TVs remotely (Image: SAMSUNG)
Samsung has made a surprising confession that it can remotely disable and block all of its popular TVs. That basically means that the screen remains blank and the television becomes virtually unusable.
It may sound strange and scary to admit, but there’s a good reason why Samsung has activated this feature now. The company says it has announced the update to prevent people from stealing its televisions from warehouses.
This has recently been a major problem in South Africa, where looters ripped off the shelves of a distribution center in KwaZulu-Natal province of Cato Ridge.
Samsung says it is trying to prevent this from happening again and is also trying to help retailers that have suffered from looting.
Once a television has been stolen, the TV Block can be activated remotely and ensures that sets can only be used by the rightful owners with a valid proof of purchase.
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The block is activated when the user of a stolen TV connects to the Internet to control the TV.
Once connected, the serial number is identified on the Samsung server and the blocking system is implemented, which disables all television functions
Samsung says if a customer’s TV is inappropriately blocked, functionality can be restored once proof of purchase and a valid TV license
“Consistent with our values of harnessing the power of technology to solve societal challenges, we will continuously develop and expand strategic products in our consumer electronics division with defense-grade security, purpose-built, with innovative and intuitive business tools designed for a new world,” said Mike Van Lier, consumer electronics director at Samsung South Africa.
“This technology can have a positive impact today and will also benefit both industry and customers in the future,”
It is currently unclear whether this feature is only activated in South Africa or whether televisions sold in other parts of the world can also be blocked.
Although Samsung has confirmed that this technology is already installed on all of its TV products.
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