This was on the news today.
"If you just bought a smart TV on Black Friday or plan to buy one for Cyber Monday tomorrow, the FBI wants you to know a few things.
Smart TVs are like regular television sets but with an internet connection. With the advent and growth of Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services, most saw internet-connected televisions as a cord-cutter's dream. But like anything that connects to the internet, it opens up smart TVs to security vulnerabilities and hackers. Not only that, many smart TVs come with a camera and a microphone. But as is the case with most other internet-connected devices, manufacturers often don't put security as a priority."
That's the key takeaway from the FBI's Portland field office, which just ahead of some of the biggest shopping days of the year posted a warning on its website about the risks that smart TVs pose.

"Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home. A bad cyber actor may not be able to access your locked-down computer directly, but it is possible that your unsecured TV can give him or her an easy way in the backdoor through your router," wrote the FBI.

The FBI warned that hackers can take control of your unsecured smart TV and in worst cases, take control of the camera and microphone to watch and listen in.

This was on the news today.
"If you just bought a smart TV on Black Friday or plan to buy one for Cyber Monday tomorrow, the FBI wants you to know a few things.
Smart TVs are like regular television sets but with an internet connection. With the advent and growth of Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services, most saw internet-connected televisions as a cord-cutter's dream. But like anything that connects to the internet, it opens up smart TVs to security vulnerabilities and hackers. Not only that, many smart TVs come with a camera and a microphone. But as is the case with most other internet-connected devices, manufacturers often don't put security as a priority."
That's the key takeaway from the FBI's Portland field office, which just ahead of some of the biggest shopping days of the year posted a warning on its website about the risks that smart TVs pose.

"Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home. A bad cyber actor may not be able to access your locked-down computer directly, but it is possible that your unsecured TV can give him or her an easy way in the backdoor through your router," wrote the FBI.

The FBI warned that hackers can take control of your unsecured smart TV and in worst cases, take control of the camera and microphone to watch and listen in.

That’s why I buy a regular TV, it does the job just fine.

Am thinking about dumping satellite.

Yeah I have satellite too, my cats keep unplugging the cords!

I like my my tv like I like potatoes. The dumber the better.

If you have a newer smart tv that is connected to the internet, likely it is at the very least collecting usage data from you and sending it to home base. It’s not necessarily a govt thing, it’s selling the data to advertisers so they can target ads at you based off of several vectors including data from your TV to MAKE MONEY is. You’re just wet-wear for the TV. Simple solution is to not connect it to any networks with internet access.

This also includes the iPhone I’m using to type this post.

The way I see it is (with salt added), it’s just a part of consumerism to mine as much data on you as possible to get you to buy more stuff to then mine more data, lend you money to buy more stuff. Track you to figure out how much debt you can handle and fill you up with it so you can just make the minimum payments plus a little so you can take on more debt for more stuff later. Internet connected devices, software services, services, credit cards, banks, utilities, social media, etc. are all used to build a profile on you to see what can be had financially from ya. It’s not necessarily centralized, but many different entities will have chunks of data that advertisers and other companies want. It’s the aggregators of that data that make the big bucks I think. Google and Facebook are probably the biggest in that regard.

Not a fan of the smart TV features and I rarely ever use them. Instead I prefer to keep a old computer connected to the TV to watch internet content/play games on. Much more flexible compared to a smart TV imo.

I'd be more worried about the spyware built into those things than hackers.

I actually do own a 'smart' TV, but its not connected to the internet. I also just have an antenna, so only get the local channels are broadcast here. (and zero interest in paying for cable/satellite/etc).
Said TV is also connected to a Blu-ray player, DVD player, VCR, Laser-disc, and a computer(no internet in that PC)

My "Smart TV" is connected to a DVD player-and like the TV DVD players can be connected to the "net.NONE of mine are!Just play and watch DVD's Standard,BluRay and 4K.THATS IT!!!NOTHING on Cable(outdated tech-why are we still using it??)Commercial Off air,or satellite.Don't use ANY of those---They all broadcast---TRASH & GARBAGE!!!