Samsung revealed that a television block function is pre-loaded on all Samsung TV products allowing the company to disable televisions remotely.
The tech company activated this feature in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after televisions were stolen from its warehouse following protests sparked by the arrest of former South Africa President Jacob Zuma. President Zuma is serving a 15-month prison sentence for corruption.
“In keeping with our values to leverage the power of technology to resolve societal challenges, we will continuously develop and expand strategic products in our consumer electronics division with defence-grade security, purpose-built, with innovative and intuitive business tools designed for a new world. This technology can have a positive impact at this time, and will also be of use to both the industry and customers in the future.” Mike Van Lier, Director of Consumer Electronics at Samsung South Africa, explained.
The television block function connects the electronic device to Samsung’s servers and scans to see if the serial code matches any televisions that have been stolen. If a television is disconnected – proof of purchase must be given to reconnect.
“The aim of the technology is to mitigate against the creation of secondary markets linked to the sale of illegal goods, both in South Africa and beyond its borders,” Van Lier said.
