“1984” inspired technology contravenes Danish law

Your private conversations in your living room could end up in the hands of third parties

A warning issued by Samsung to its customers – which informs them recordings carried out by the voice-activated control function of their new smart TV could be passed on to a third party – does not comply with Danish law.

The warning is written in a privacy policy booklet accompanying the television: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition."

Does not meet requirements
Thomas Munk Rasmussen, a partner at the law firm Bech-Bruun who is a specialist in personal law, has told Berlingske that the warning does not meet the requirements of Danish law.

“Samsung is far from meeting the requirements set by Danish law for explicit consent," he said.

"Simply writing in a manual that if you use the TV set you risk that private conversations will be recorded and passed on is not enough."

READ MORE: Danish firm to compete with file-sharing giants

Slow progress in data protection
While experts express concerns over the possibility for US intelligence agency NSA to access the information stored by Samsung, the company announced in a press release that the information it receives from customers is encrypted.

Meanwhile, the EU is working on tighter regulations to be set in all member countries with regards to personal data security. However, this project has been on the agenda for several years now and progress is still slow.                        




  • Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    A Wall Street Journal article describes that the US will now begin spying in Greenland. This worries the Danish foreign minister, who wants an explanation from the US’s leading diplomat. Greenlandic politicians think that Trump’s actions increase the sense of insecurity

  • Diplomacy meets Westeros: a dinner with the King, Queen – and Jaime Lannister

    Diplomacy meets Westeros: a dinner with the King, Queen – and Jaime Lannister

    What do King Frederik X, Queen Mary, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Jaime Lannister have in common? No, this isn’t the start of a very specific Shakespeare-meets-HBO fanfiction — it was just Wednesday night in Denmark

  • Huge boost to halt dropouts from vocational education

    Huge boost to halt dropouts from vocational education

    For many years, most young people in Denmark have preferred upper secondary school (Gymnasium). Approximately 20 percent of a year group chooses a vocational education. Four out of 10 young people drop out of a vocational education. A bunch of millions aims to change that

  • Beloved culture house saved from closure

    Beloved culture house saved from closure

    At the beginning of April, it was reported that Kapelvej 44, a popular community house situated in Nørrebro, was at risk of closing due to a loss of municipality funding

  • Mette Frederiksen: “If you harm the country that is hosting you, you shouldn’t be here at all”

    Mette Frederiksen: “If you harm the country that is hosting you, you shouldn’t be here at all”

    With reforms to tighten the rules for foreigners in Denmark without legal residency, and the approval of a reception package for internationals working in the care sector, internationals have been under the spotlight this week. Mette Frederiksen spoke about both reforms yesterday.

  • Tolerated, but barely: inside Denmark’s departure centers

    Tolerated, but barely: inside Denmark’s departure centers

    Currently, around 170 people live on “tolerated stay” in Denmark, a status for people who cannot be deported but are denied residency and basic rights. As SOS Racisme draws a concerning picture of their living conditions in departure centers, such as Kærshovedgård, they also suggest it might be time for Denmark to reinvent its policies on deportation

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.