When your TV can spy on you.

[Commentary] We've heard a lot of gee-whiz talk in recent months about "smart homes" and "smart appliances" -- promises from the tech industry that Internet-connected devices will make our lives infinitely better and more convenient. The flip side of all that connectivity, however, is that your wired dwelling will be watching you 24 hours a day, and there's no telling where this river of data about your private life could end up.

As a result, California is now considering the nation's first legislation to limit how much one of the most popular smart devices -- your TV -- can spy on you without your knowing. AB 1116 would require that manufacturers of smart, voice-controlled TVs prominently notify users that their conversations could be electronically overheard and transmitted elsewhere. It also would slap a strict prohibition on manufacturers and third parties from using or selling stored conversations for advertising purposes.