Bright Data turns smart TVs into proxies for web scraping

Colleagues, a cybersecurity alert: research shows the Bright Data SDK embedded in free apps can convert devices — including smart TVs — into exit nodes for web scraping.

— How it works: the SDK connects to control servers and instructs devices to act on behalf of the home IP.
— Risks: it consumes residential bandwidth and throughput; on iOS traffic may bypass VPNs.
— Consent: opt‑in does not reflect real traffic limits.
— Mitigation: block the SDK domains at the router (Pi‑hole, NextDNS) and audit apps.

Why it matters: home and corporate devices can be covertly repurposed as data-collection infrastructure.

How do you check your devices for such SDKs?

#cybersecurity #IoT #smartTV #network