MAM
Samsung TV’s voice function threatens to intrude customers’ privacy
MUMBAI: SmartTV, Samsung’s recent innovation has a new voice-command feature, through which the internet-connected device can record everything one speaks and transmit it to a third party.
The company’s voice recognition software allows viewers to communicate with their television by talking to it. It is enabled when a microphone symbol appears. Instead of using a traditional remote control to change the channel, people can simply ask their Samsung TV to change it for them by uttering a few words.
This feature is worrying people, because of guidelines in their privacy policy. The Daily Beast first spotted this sentence, which reads, “If spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.”
The Daily Beast makes the point that if peoples’ living room conversations are being recorded and passed on, privacy is being undermined. Homes are supposed to be places in which families and friends can talk about anything and everything.
“Don’t talk about tax evasion, drug use,” Beast warned.
Sensitive information, such as ‘device identifiers’ could potentially be passed to law enforcement, advertisers and other groups, according to Samsung. “If the transmission is not encrypted, a SmartHacker could conceivably turn your TV into an eavesdropping device,” the website adds.
It is important to note that the function operates in this way only when the voice recognition is turned on. But that feature is probably one of the main draws to the new technology.
Responding to the criticism, the company said, “Samsung takes consumer privacy very seriously. In all of our Smart TVs we employ industry-standard security safeguards and practices, including data encryption, to secure consumers’ personal information and prevent unauthorised collection or use. Voice recognition, which allows the user to control the TV using voice commands, is a Samsung Smart TV feature, which can be activated or deactivated by the user. The TV owner can also disconnect the TV from the Wi-Fi network.”
Similar concerns were also raised about Siri in the US. The service also transmits information to a third party.
The privacy policy for the company’s Smart TV sets – which are on sale – advises users of the voice recognition feature that their spoken words will be “among the data captured and transmitted.”
Privacy campaigners have branded the policy “outrageous” and made comparisons to George Orwell’s description of telescreens, which spied on citizens in his novel, 1984.
Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch director Emma Car said, “Samsung needs to understand that not everyone wants to be spied on by their TV. Few people would expect a TV to intrude on our privacy, yet this is increasingly becoming the case.”
Samsung has insisted it takes customer privacy “very seriously” and any gathering of users’ information is carried out with the “utmost transparency.”
AD Agencies
WPP and Ogilvy top the global charts as India joins the creative elite: Warc rankings
A record five-year streak for Ogilvy while India secures a top five global spot
MUMBAI: The global advertising world has a familiar king, but a new powerhouse is gatecrashing the palace. In the latest Warc Creative 100 rankings, the industry’s definitive audit of excellence, WPP has once again been crowned the top holding company. Not to be outdone, its crown jewel, Ogilvy, has secured the top network spot for a staggering fifth consecutive year.
It is a “five-peat” that proves Ogilvy’s creative engine is not just running but purring. While many networks rely on one or two superstar offices to carry the load, Ogilvy’s dominance is a team effort across the globe. Hot on their heels is sister agency VML, which took the silver medal for networks, ensuring a WPP clean sweep at the very top of the podium.
The biggest noise, however, is coming from the East. India has officially vaulted into the top five most creative nations on Earth. Once viewed primarily as a back-office for production, the country is now a front-row leader in imagination. Driven by the brilliance of agencies like Ogilvy Mumbai and Leo Burnett India, the nation is proving that its work does more than just look good on a trophy shelf. In a market where every rupee must work twice as hard, Indian campaigns are blending high-concept artistry with ruthless commercial effectiveness.
The individual accolades saw Heineken toast to success as the top brand, finally knocking Apple off its perch. Unilever remains the world’s most awarded advertiser, proving that big business can still have a big heart through its work for Dove and Vaseline.
The title of the world’s most creative campaign went to Publicis Conseil Paris for their AXA “Three Words” initiative. By subtly adding “and domestic violence” to insurance policies to provide immediate relocation cover, the agency proved that the best advertising doesn’t just sell a service, it provides one.
The 2026 rankings also signal a shift in the industry’s DNA. The era of boring business-to-business marketing is dead, with B2B campaigns cracking the top ten for the first time. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence has moved past the gimmick stage. The winners this year used tech not for the sake of a trend, but to drive genuine human emotion.
Whether it is Paris providing a safety net for the vulnerable or India redefining the global creative order, the message from this year’s Warc rankings is clear. The best work in the world is no longer just about catching the eye, it is about changing the world.
