Chinese smart TVs face pushback over ads

Most smart TVs from leading brands show ads, including those from Samsung, LG, Vizio, Xiaomi, and Sharp

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Smart TVs have ushered in a new era of connectivity, but they’re also showing ads where we don’t expect them. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Masha Borak

Published: 9:56pm, 12 Mar 2020Updated: 10:14pm, 12 Mar 2020

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Smart TV owners in China are tired of televisions that spam them with ads from the moment they start up. Local consumer rights groups are now pushing back, claiming the ads infringe on users’ rights.

One group published a draft on Tuesday for regulating smart TV advertising that covers ads displayed during start-up. The Jiangsu Consumer Council’s proposal stipulates that users should be able to turn off TV ads and that the duration of ads should not exceed 30 seconds, local media reported.

Ads on smart TVs have become a common complaint around the world. Samsung smart TVs have been serving ads for several years now, and LG followed suit in 2019. US budget brand Vizio also presented a plan to serve targeted advertisements for specific households, which raised privacy concerns.

Last year, the Jiangsu Consumer Council published a survey covering the most popular smart TV brands in China, including Xiaomi, Haier, Hisense and Sharp. Most of these TVs don’t allow users to skip start-up ads. The survey also found that nearly 50 per cent of buyers found out about the ads only after buying the TVs.

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