Your Smart TV Might Be Part of a Botnet
From Hacker And The Fed by Chris Tarbell & Hector Monsegur
June 11, 2026 · 45 min
About this episode
Chris and Hector discuss the use of smart TVs in botnets, AI security issues, and the implications for consumer privacy.
Chris and Hector break down a shocking discovery involving smart TVs being used as residential proxy nodes, a major Meta AI support failure that enabled widespread Instagram account takeovers, and new AI systems uncovering decades-old software vulnerabilities. They also discuss AI security guardrails, consumer privacy, and the growing risks of convenience-driven technology. Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/hackerandthefed Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com
People in this episode
Hosts: Chris Tarbell, Hector Monsegur
Topics covered
- smart TVs
- AI security
- consumer privacy
- technology risks
- Instagram account takeovers
Keywords
- smart TV
- botnet
- AI
- Meta
- privacy
- technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Meta, Patreon
Products: smart TVs, Instagram
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