Samsung has launched an investigation into why some of its smart TVs are adding adverts to programmes and movies played via third-party apps. The investigation comes after a number of smart TV owners complained about repeatedly being shown a silent ad for soft drink giant Pepsi. It’s said that the ad is interrupting playback.
The company says that the glitch only seems to be affecting customers in Australia. News of the fault came just a few days after stories about the TV “eavesdropping” on private conversations circulated on and offline. Subscribers to the Foxtel and Plex apps are amongst those affected. A spokeswoman for Samsung said: “We are aware of a situation that has caused some smart TV users in Australia to experience programme interruption in the form of an advertisement”.
The spokesperson added: “This seems to be caused by an error, and we are currently conducting a full and thorough investigation into the cause as our top priority. The news site Ars Technia has speculated that collaboration between Samsung and Yahoo might be linked to the bug. The two tech giants have been working together to find ways to show pop-ups ads on the TVs.
Read about how a budget smartphone brand recently overtook Samsung in India here.
