A report released this Wednesday (22) by Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) states that TV Box-type devices not approved by the agency may contain installed software (malware) capable of capturing user data.
This type of equipment offers to transform traditional televisions into smart. This means that older TVs, for example, are able to download apps like Netflix and YouTube, as well as follow common channels without needing an antenna, through IPTV apps. TV Boxes can be legal (when authorized by the agency) or illegal.
To carry out the tests, non-approved products purchased in popular commerce centers and on the internet were used. The agency has identified malware on the equipment — the name given to malicious software — that allows external agents to capture information from users connected to the same network, such as financial data and photos.
The agents were also able, through the software, to remotely operate the applications installed on the television. “In addition to violating copyrighted content, [TV Boxes não homologados] they also contain vulnerabilities that compromise the security and protection of user data,” concluded Anatel in the report.
In a statement, the agency says that in the last two years, 3.8 million unauthorized products were withdrawn from the market — of these, 1.1 million were TV Boxes.
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