In the aftermath of the July lootings that ravaged large metropolitan and industrial parts of Kwa-Zulu/Natal and Gauteng (spurred by boisterous calls for the release of recently jailed ex-President Jacob Zuma), an email letter from Samsung directed at its South African retailers and resellers claims that the consumer electronics company will be locking out TVs looted at their main warehouse using a "TV block" function:
Please see partner communication for Samsung TV Block, technology unique to Samsung. We will be activating TV block on all Samsung television sets looted from our warehouse from the week commencing 11 July 2021.
The email goes further to explain what the TV Block feature is and how it works:
TV Block is a remote, security solution that detects if TV units have been unduly activated. In order to 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.
While this will be welcome news for many retailers who have had their stores robbed during the lootings, many interested and invested in the tech industry will be weary of the future security implications that such technology features have on the legitimately established systems. What does this mean for selling your old TV in the future? Is this feature on Samsung's other digital applicances? Is it possible that, if Samsung's security gets compromised, hackers could lock/brick your digital appliances remotely? Can Samsung, in the near future, decide to police what you can do with their digital appliances, and if you broke their hypothetic policy they can permanently lock you out of their services?
So far there has not been any official communication from Samsung to the public about this feature.
Our advice to consumers is to avoid buying Samsung televisions (or other general appliances) from unofficial and unlicensed resellers No matter how good the deal may be!