Earlier this week, Samsung’s US Support Twitter account decided to remind its followers that it is imperative to regularly scan their QLED TVs for viruses and malware. While the intention behind the tweet was noble and educational, it seems to have backfired for the company. Not only was the company blasted for not making the process automated, it was also mocked and trolled. Samsung has since deleted the tweet, but the reason behind the deletion remains unclear.
In the deleted tweet, Samsung wrote, “Scanning your computer for malware viruses is important to keep it running smoothly. This also is true for your QLED TV if it’s connected to Wi-Fi!”
“Prevent malicious software attacks on your TV by scanning for viruses on your TV every few weeks,” the company added.
The Verge, which was first to report on the tweet, slammed the company for not making the process automated as it is very unlikely that the consumers will remember or find time to regularly scan their televisions.
“When so many people don’t even know how to turn off motion smoothing, what are the chances that they’re going to be mindful of security practices? It also illustrates how dumb some smart TVs can be,” the publication wrote.
Samsung’s tweet was a stark reminder of the world we currently live in, where every connected device remains vulnerable to online threats. So, it is indeed baffling why consumer electronics company would want to leave the security of a TV or other smart devices to consumers who already have to deal with securing their computer, smartphone, and online accounts.
It is unclear why Samsung has now deleted the tweet as it did include sound advice, of course, whether or not it was an ideal situation remains debatable. The company did say the following in a statement given to BBC:
“Samsung takes security very seriously and our products and services are designed with security in mind. Yesterday we shared information about one of the preventative security features on our Smart TVs, in order to show consumers proactive steps they can take on their device.
“We understand that this may have caused some confusion and we want to clarify that this was simply a way to inform and educate consumers about one of the features included in our products.”
It is no surprise that with the advent of smart and connected devices, the consumers need to be mindful about the security of every single device, whether the manufacturer makes it easy to do so or not. With that in mind, considering Samsung has deleted the tweet, here’s how you can scan your Samsung QLED TV for viruses or malware:
It is quite easy actually, just head to General Settings > System Manager > Smart Security and hit Scan.