Tele’s free TVs are already shipping, but just how ‘free’ are they?

Free 55 inch TV sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? In return all you have to do is watch a few ads. I signed up because I thought I’ve been watching TV with commercials for as long as I can remember, so it’s not a new concept.

What is new about this ‘deal’ is that the free 55-inch television has an attached screen at the bottom where advertisements are displayed. And shipping of FREE TV has started.

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But of course nothing is completely free, so how about you In fact Paying for a fancy 55-inch 4K TV? The answer to that question is the same as for most things when we talk about the Internet: You’re paying with your data.

We first told you about the Tele dual-screen TV during the company’s campaign in May. Tele announced its plan to send 500,000 free televisions by the end of 2023, with plans to bring millions more televisions in 2024.

In the campaign’s first week, more than 250,000 customers registered for the free 4K TV – two-thirds of those registrants were millennials or Gen Z, both of which are often out-of-reach populations for advertisers.

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Tele announced that shipping of those TVs has already begun last week, as well as some advertising partnerships with Magnite and Microsoft. The TVs will support Spotify and LiveOne for audio-streaming services.

Telly also announced that data measurement company Nielsen will license Telly’s data to collect and analyze unique audience information, providing valuable insights to advertisers and TV programmers.

“We are thrilled to begin shipping the smartest television ever to consumers,” said Ilya Pozin, CEO and Founder of Tele.

“Our disruptive ad-supported business model makes television completely free for consumers, but the most exciting thing about tele is the technology that enables our dual-screen televisions to get better with every update. We can’t wait for consumers to see what smart TVs can really do as we continue to surprise and delight tele families for years to come.”

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To reserve a tele, you must provide the company with your full name and shipping information, including a valid US phone number. Then, you will need to download the Telly app to confirm your account, where you will need to agree to their data collection terms and complete a survey to gather information about your preferences, which helps the company build an advertising profile about you.

Now, keep in mind that this data gathering process takes place even before you receive your TV.

Tele Chief Strategy Officer Dallas Lawrence explains the process: “Nearly all smart TVs today collect data on consumption and viewership. The only primary difference between the data we collect on consumption and viewership and the data every major TV manufacturer collects today is that we ask the consumer to share it, and in return we give them a $1000+ TV for free.”

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It may be the process viewers sign up for, but when do we cross the line from mutual agreement to surveillance?

For example, the Tele TV has a built-in camera system that subscribers can use for video-conferencing and exercise apps, as well as games and other motion-tracking software.

The inclusion of the camera system is a turnoff for me, especially considering how many people already put a cover on their laptop cameras.

However, Lawrence says that the camera does not record or transmit anything to Telly. It also comes with a physical shutter covering the camera, which the customer has to tell the TV to open, and has a visual indicator that shows when it’s in use.

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Lawrence says this collection of features is just one example that “highlights our approach to consumer privacy and control”.

So, here’s the thing: Many smart devices in our homes already gather data and sell it to data brokers — yes, I’m looking at you, Alexa.

We sign up for this process knowingly – we ‘agree and continue’ without reading the fine print and giving our data to tech companies without being aware of the potential implications.

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I’ll still test TeleTV if I get the chance. I’ll be interested to see what happens during the process, and I’ll try to learn how the company handles my information.

But I also believe it’s important to consider how low-income households or viewers with limited awareness of privacy issues might be drawn into the deal by promises of ‘free TV’ and used-car salesman pitches.

Stay tuned for how I get on.