Researcher discovers Samsung TV's Tizen OS recording audio and screenshots for ad targeting

Reverse engineer log4j reveals AI-driven data collection, raising privacy concerns

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published25 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Illustration: Researcher discovers Samsung TV's Tizen OS recording audio and screenshots for ad targeting

A cybersecurity researcher known as log4j has uncovered what they describe as 'privacy horror' in Samsung's Tizen operating system, finding that the TV's software uses an AI-powered neural network to record audio, capture screenshots, and collect detailed user telemetry for targeted advertising. The discovery, detailed in a series of posts on X, has prompted one engineer to test the microphone behavior, while log4j says they are preparing a full write-up.

log4j, a reverse engineer and cybersecurity bounty hunter, began investigating after noticing 'weirdly targeted ads' on their 2025 Samsung TV. By obtaining a root shell on the device, they found code in the Tizen OS that extracts user information including audio, screenshots, and a cross-device advertising ID (AID). A region-specific convolutional neural network tracks a viewer's actions, such as which videos are watched and which ads are skipped, all intended to improve ad targeting.

The researcher also found behavior designed for TVs without built-in microphones: the system scans for connected devices with microphones, such as soundbars or Bluetooth peripherals, to use them for audio recording.

Hugging Face engineer ngxson tested the microphone on their own rooted Tizen TV using a Flipper Zero tool and observed that the television opened its microphone for exactly five seconds before closing it. No further recording was detected in hours of monitoring. However, ngxson noted that their TV had multiple settings disabled, so an unmodified unit might behave differently.

log4j said they used OpenAI's tools for local reverse engineering, but OpenAI later banned the researcher's account citing 'cyber abuse.' In comments, log4j defended the work, calling the ban the result of a primitive classifier.

Other smart TV brands, including LG, have previously faced similar accusations of spying on customers. Many owners have reported significant slowdowns in their TVs, which some suspect may be related to the data collection activity log4j identified.

The researcher plans to publish a comprehensive guide on how to replicate the findings.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Millions of smart TVs could be silently recording audio and collecting personal usage data, turning the living room into an ad-targeting surveillance point.
The use of on-device AI and cross-device tracking raises new questions about what consent users have given and how such data is secured.
The discovery is likely to draw scrutiny from regulators and privacy advocates, and could spur technical countermeasures from consumers.

Background

Smart TVs have long drawn criticism for data collection. In previous years, both Samsung and LG have been accused of gathering viewing habits and transmitting them to third parties. The difference in this case is the reported use of convolutional neural networks and the explicit recording of audio and screenshots, enabled by always-on microphones that many TVs now include. The researcher, log4j, is known for reverse engineering and bug bounty work, and came across the issue after receiving unusually precise ads.

Key Perspectives

log4j: states that Samsung TVs run an AI model that records audio, takes screenshots, and collects various telemetry data to fuel targeted advertising, calling the practice a 'privacy horror.' ngxson: a Hugging Face engineer who tested his own rooted Tizen TV, observed that the microphone opened for exactly five seconds then stopped, but cautioned that his unit had many settings disabled, so unmodified TVs may act differently.

What to Watch

Whether Samsung issues an official response or a security update in light of the findings.
The publication of log4j's full write-up, which will show others how to examine the Tizen OS for similar behavior.
Potential interest from regulators, particularly in Europe and the US, where laws on device surveillance and consent are tightening.

Sources

Cybersecurity bounty hunter says Samsung TVs use AI to record audio and screenshots for ads · Tom's Hardware

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe researcher discovered that Samsung TVs use AI to record audio and capture screenshots for advertising.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Cybersecurity bounty hunter says Samsung TVs use AI to record audio and screenshots for ads.”
SupportedReverse engineer log4j revealed AI-driven data collection that raised privacy concerns.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “they found increasingly concerning code in the Tizen operating system, including detailed user telemetry from packet logging, audio categorization, screenshots, cross-device identification for ad tracking, and more”
Partly supportedThe Tizen software uses an AI-powered neural network to record audio, capture screenshots and collect telemetry.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The hacker even found a region-specific convolutional neural network (an AI) that tracks user behavior, citing examples like what videos the user watches, which ads are skipped, and video progress.”
Supportedlog4j described the discovery as “privacy horror.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: “they “discovered PRIVACY HORROR,” log4j states”
SupportedThe AI network is region-specific and tracks actions such as videos watched and ads skipped to improve ad targeting.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The hacker even found a region-specific convolutional neural network (an AI) that tracks user behavior, citing examples like what videos the user watches, which ads are skipped, and video progress.”
SupportedFor TVs without built-in microphones, the system finds connected devices with microphones to record audio.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Log4j also found behavior for TVs without microphones, stating it will find connected devices with microphones, such as a soundbar or a connected Bluetooth device, to record audio.”
Supportedngxson tested the microphone on a rooted Tizen TV with a Flipper Zero, and the TV opened its microphone for exactly five seconds.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “@log4j Ok so right off the bat, it opens the mic for exactly 5 seconds then stop.”
Partly supportedNo further recording was detected during hours of monitoring.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Then no more recording since then, but need to keep observing more to conclude”
SupportedOpenAI banned log4j’s account, citing “cyber abuse.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The hacker used OpenAI tools to hack the TV, but the company eventually banned them for cyber abuse, as stated in an email they received.”
Partly supportedlog4j said the ban was the result of a primitive classifier.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “In a comment below their post about the ban, log4j said it seemed OpenAI banned their account because of a primitive classifier.”
Partly supportedMany owners reported significant TV slowdowns, which some suspect may relate to the data collection log4j identified.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Many owners have also reported their TVs slowing down despite no new features or heavy apps running, suspecting it is mainly bloatware, but it could also be the spying behavior Log4j found.”