Admin: I can't figure out which forum to post this in.

No TV for about 15 years. Thinking about the higher-end Panasonic TV running Firefox OS, MAY solve the "Internet of Things" problem at least as far as a TV goes since it may constantly get security updates. Downside: Firefox for iOS is now soft-crashing my iPad upon launch.

As long as whatever you choose, you don't enable voice-control or voice-activation which, as you know, can monitor conversations not related to the TV's functioning.
This privacy/security issue has been discussed extensively here and elsewhere.

Thanks for the tip, fellow Luddite.

I have some private doubts whether turning off voice recognition on any device works. I turned it off on my MBP and guess what's? When I went to the sound input monitor, it was moving when I was talking.

That's odd, although the monitor function may always be on, but as long as you can verify that it's not 'broadcasting', it's probably safe.
That said, you should probably try to ascertain exactly what's going on, especially whether it's turned on or off.

Interesting. I turn off the monitoring in the Universal Access and Speech control panels, Quicktime recording not running, yet...

Strange, I don't see any "monitoring" function in Universal Access or Speech control panels (running Lion 10.7.5).

What I'm saying is they are turned off, so the mic should not be on, right? But, when I check the sound control panel, there is input indication, it shows activity.

So, it is accessing sound in the room. Now it's up to Apple what to do with that.

Maybe villians should do any plotting and scheming the old fashioned way and take a cue from "All the President's Men." Type their dastardly plan out on a Selectric with classical music in the background.

If my iPhone, iPad, Watch, and even my computer aren't listening all the time, how can they react when I say, "Hey Siri"?

Before you ask I do it all the time — it is very handy.

Privacy vs. convenience, and that is a personal choice. All I am saying is it should be a choice.

You can always stick a screwdriver through the microphone

I guess I could use the same sledgehammer I use to erase dead hard drives... A little privacy here, it's my home. That's not unreasonable.