Mastodawn

Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
Walmart wants to connect what people stream "directly with retail interaction."
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

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Don Whiteside 1d ago

@arstechnica @lisamelton Oh no please don't really punish me and disable all smart features unless I sign in please please don’t. #briarpatch

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Chris Adams

@donw @arstechnica @lisamelton I’ve been wondering whether they’ll have the guts to make the device require a login before it displays anything, but let’s be honest: they’ll make sure the spying parts work either way. Nobody gets between an MBA and their bonus.