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Contents2
  1. Consumer impact summary
  2. References
Telly
Basic Information
Release Year 2023
Product Type TVs, Smart TVs
In Production Yes
Official Website https://www.telly.com/

Telly is a line of free smart TVs created in 2023 by Ilya Pozin.[1] The TV is free, as the cost is recuperated by displaying ads on an auxiliary display below the main 55-inch screen. Customers who request a TV provide demographic information to Telly and a camera stays on while the TV is active.

The television requires a constant camera feed and internet connection, which then shows personalized ads to the user on its second screen.[2] Users cannot cover the secondary display, as they would not be able to navigate the TVs UI, and it is also against the terms of service.[3]

Consumer impact summary

Business model

The product is fully subsidized by advertising and data collection. Users who opt out of the data policy are forced to return the TV or pay over $1,000 for it.[2] The business model is apathy, a resounding sigh of "well, I'm already being tracked, may as well get a free TV!"

Privacy

The product is fully subsidized by advertising and data collection. Telly TV collects metadata about the length of your viewing sessions and has automatic content recognition, where it observes the channels you use and snapshots of the audio and video content you have watched. The device has a motion-tracking microphone and a camera. It closely tracks all interaction with the UI as well as the number of people in the room with the TV.[2] The TVs also have a built-in sensor that can detect the number of people who are watching at any particular time.[4] The camera has a privacy shutter, but it is software controlled.[3]

User freedom

Users do not own their devices; in a literal and legal sense, Telly retains ownership of the device even once it is in your home. Under threat of a $1,000 penalty, the user cannot sell or dispose of this device, and they cannot obscure the ads. Opening the Telly enclosure is a violation of the terms of service. You are required to keep the device connected to the internet.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2023-05-15). "Startup Telly Plans to Give Away 500,000 Free 4K TVs This Year. The Catch? The Sets Have a Second Screen That Constantly Shows You Ads". Variety. Archived from the original on 2025-01-29. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hoover, Amanda (2023-05-17). "The True Cost of a Free TV". Wired. Archived from the original on 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roth, Emma (2025-09-28). "I spent three months with Telly, the free TV that's always showing ads". The Verge. Archived from the original on 11 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  4. ↑ Beaty, Artie (2024-08-08). "I tested this 'Free TV' in return for watching targeted ads - and was pleasantly surprised". ZD Net. Archived from the original on 2025-02-16. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  5. ↑ "Telly Product Terms of Service". Telly. 2024-10-02. Archived from the original on 29 Dec 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
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