Samsung is banning smart TV apps that share users' internet connections with strangers, according to TechCrunch. The move targets apps built on proxy software development kits (SDKs) that route user traffic through other people's networks.
TechCrunch reports that Samsung's decision follows concerns about apps on its Tizen operating system quietly using users' bandwidth for third-party purposes. The ban applies to apps that expose users' internet connections without clear consent.
The issue is not unique to Samsung. Neowin notes that LG is also cracking down on smart TV apps that quietly share bandwidth. PPC Land adds that roughly a quarter of Tizen apps have been found routing strangers' traffic, which prompted Samsung's action.
Samsung's ban means developers can no longer distribute or update apps on its platform that rely on these proxy SDKs. The company is effectively closing a loophole that allowed apps to turn users' home connections into relay points for unknown parties.
This type of bandwidth sharing can slow down a user's connection and raise privacy concerns, as traffic passes through their network without their knowledge. Samsung's policy change appears aimed at shutting down that practice across its app ecosystem.
The enforcement details remain unclear, including how Samsung will detect existing apps that already use these SDKs and whether it will remove them from users' devices. What to watch next is how LG and other TV makers respond with similar policies, and whether app developers will challenge the ban.
