August 25, 2021

Samsung recently announced that its televisions can be remotely disabled if the electronics manufacturer determines that the units have been stolen.

The “Television Block Function,” was recently activated in South Africa after several Samsung TVs were stolen from a company warehouse during a wave of protests and unrest in July.

The tech giant says the feature is “already pre-loaded on all Samsung TV products” and “ensures that the television sets may only be used by its owners with a valid proof of purchase.”

For the TV block function to work, Samsung needs the serial number of the stolen TV. When the device connects to the internet, it scans its serial code with a list on Samsung’s servers and disables all TV functions if a match is found.

For more information, read the original story from The Verge.