Samsung's Message To The Worried: Don't Be So Paranoid

Remember my writeup of a few weeks ago, wherein I noted that the Terms of Service in Samsung's new TVs (containing image sensors, microphones, and networking transceivers) included a clause allowing third-party apps to make use of the monitoring system, and use the data gathered for their own purposes? Well, thanks to another Slashdot post, I can pass along Samsung's response to the situation to you. Here's a relevant quote from the company's just-published privacy policy:

Should the TV owner choose not to use these features, the camera and microphone can be disabled. Users can check if the camera and microphone are activated from the TV’s settings menu. As an added precaution, the camera can be rotated and tucked into the bezel of the TV. Once tucked away, the camera only captures a black image.

Does Samsung's clarification put the issue to rest? I doubt it. After all, the camera and microphone on/off "switches" are software-controlled, not fundamentally hardware-triggered in nature, so there's nothing precluding some external entity from turning them on even if the user-viewable settings screen suggests otherwise.