Smart TV owners in China are tired of televisions that spam them with ads from the moment they start up. Local consumer rights groups are now pushing back, claiming the ads infringe on users’ rights. One group published a draft on Tuesday for regulating smart TV advertising that covers ads displayed during start-up. The Jiangsu Consumer Council’s proposal stipulates that users should be able to turn off TV ads and that the duration ads should not exceed 30 seconds, local media reported.
Ads on smart TVs have become a common complaint around the world. Samsung smart TVs have been serving ads for several years now, and LG followed suit in 2019. US budget brand Vizio also presented a plan to serve targeted advertisements for specific households, which raised privacy concerns.
Last year, the Jiangsu Consumer Council published a survey covering the most popular smart TV brands in China, including Xiaomi, Haier, Hisense and Sharp. Most of these TVs don’t allow users to skip start-up ads. The survey also found that nearly 50% of buyers found out about the ads only after buying the TVs.