How to tell if your smart TV has a camera (and how to disable it)
I checked my own TV after reading this and found a tiny lens I'd completely forgotten about. That's the real point here, most of us don't buy a television expecting a camera, yet there it is, tucked into the bezel for a video-call feature I've never once used. The guide's advice to check the settings menu is fine, but the physical cover method is the one that actually works. Software toggles can be flipped back by a firmware update or a reset, a piece of tape cannot.
What I'd want to know next is how many of these cameras are even active by default. The article tells you how to disable one, but the manufacturers rarely volunteer whether the sensor is listening or watching before you opt in. That transparency gap is the part that unsettles me more than the hardware itself.
Still, I don't want to overstate the threat. A smart TV camera pointed at your couch is a real privacy consideration, but it's also a fairly low-value target for most people. The practical takeaway is simple: know what's on your wall, cover what you don't use, and don't lose sleep over the rest.